Please Tell Me I'm Awake Right Now
by clslovegood47
Summary: It had been exactly 1 month, 3 weeks, 5 days, 8 hours, and 17 minutes since Marinette Dupain-Cheng accidentally found out that Chat Noir was Adrien Agreste. Approximately 10 seconds after that moment, Adrien Agreste discovered that Marinette Dupain-Cheng was Ladybug. (Not that Marinette was keeping track or anything.) However, their biggest secrets were yet to be revealed.
1. Chapter 1

Hello, all! Thank you for reading "Please Tell Me I'm Awake Right Now". This is pure Adrienette fluff. Enjoy!

This is cross posted on AO3 (same name-clslovegood47) and Tumblr (gryffindorcls). Some of the formatting that I used on this story did not transfer well onto fanfiction.

I own nothing but the plot.

* * *

It had been exactly 1 month, 3 weeks, 5 days, 8 hours, and 17 minutes since Marinette Dupain-Cheng accidentally found out that Chat Noir was Adrien Agreste. Approximately 10 seconds after that moment, Adrien Agreste discovered that Marinette Dupain-Cheng was Ladybug. (Not that Marinette was keeping track or anything.)

No one was at fault. The Big Reveal ™ was nothing but a case of unfortunate timing. There were no declarations of love, no tears, and no screaming. It had simply been two teenagers standing in a hallway stunned silent after both their Miraculous ran out time.

There was an uneasiness between the pair immediately following the reveal. However, thanks to a few pep-talks from Tikki, Marinette gathered the courage to start a dialogue with Adrien. After a few stuttered words and awkwardly formed sentences, Marinette was finally able to invite him over for dinner.

Throughout the following weeks, Adrien had spent more and more time at her home. Her embarrassing stutter lessened as she realized that she had been holding Adrien to an impossible standard of perfection. She soon discovered that, in reality, he was (for lack of a better word) a dork.

Watching Chat and Adrien's personalities bleed into one incredible human being had been an amazing experience. He and Marinette spent time playing video games, watching movies, and telling stories. Marinette even convinced Adrien to learn how to make cookies. He had nearly burned down the kitchen three times, and his cookies were more like rocks than actual food. Nonetheless, it was still one of the best days of Marinette's life.

Their friendship as civilians made their bond as partners stronger when fighting against Hawkmoth's akumas. They were unstoppable. Marinette suddenly felt as if any obstacle could be overcome as long as she and Adrien tackled it together. It was perfect...well...almost perfect.

Despite their newfound friendship, there was still a rather large elephant in the room: Marinette's unspoken crush. It's not that Marinette liked Adrien any less than she did before. No, if anything, she had fallen head over heels for her amazing partner. Seeing Adrien for all that he was made her long to be with him even more.

The thought of not having him in her life now felt unfathomable. He completed her. Something was missing from her life when he wasn't around. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she would do anything to see Adrien happy.

Gone were the days that she fawned over her picture shrine of Adrien. All of those images had been tastefully replaced with photos that were taken of them together. She no longer had a copy of his schedule hanging from her ceiling. Instead, they communicated regularly, and he always told her where he was going to be.

Her feelings now are so much bigger than the crush she had before. It was real and big and scary.

Yesterday had been the last day of school. To celebrate, Adrien came over to Marinette's house to hang out and eat pizza.

Adrien (being the affection-starved boy she discovered he was) fell asleep on her shoulder while watching a movie after dinner. As the movie progressed, he snuggled closer and closer to Marinette. It wasn't uncommon for Adrien to cuddle with her when he fell asleep, and it was even more commonplace for Marinette to absentmindedly run her fingers through his soft, golden locks.

While last night was no different than the now countless times Adrien had been over to her house, Marinette's mind began to wander. She pondered on how normal and right everything felt. She realized that if she could just find the courage, she and Adrien could have so much more together.

She realized that there was no way that Adrien didn't have some sort of feelings for her. There he was, cuddled against her side in a peaceful slumber. She thought at that moment how much he must trust her.

Before the reveal, he had declared his love for Ladybug on multiple occasions. Now that they knew each other's identities, his flirting and teasing were still there, but it was laced with shy laughs and loving glances.

As the night had come to a close, Adrien woke up and sadly said goodbye to Marinette. He apologized for not being able to see her the next day due to the multiple photo shoots and the "insufferable, stuffy party" that he was required to attend.

As he hugged her at the door, he lingered and told Marinette that he needed an extra dose of her warmth to get him through his busy schedule the next day. It was then that Marinette became almost one hundred percent sure that Adrien had to like her as more than a friend. She spent the rest of the night and all of the next day attempting to figure out what to do with her revelation.

* * *

It was now 11:00 at night. Marinette was no closer to figuring out what to do. She didn't think she was wrong. Well, she really, REALLY hoped that she wasn't wrong. If anything, she prayed that it wasn't just her own wishful thinking.

"_What's the worst that could happen if I am wrong_," Marinette thought, "_Oh yeah, Adrien will hate me, and he'll never want to see me again. It'll be too awkward to speak to him, and that will mess up our relationship as Ladybug and Chat Noir, and then Hawkmoth will win, and then Paris will burn, and then…_"

"Hey, Marinette," Tikki (thankfully) interrupted her spiraling thoughts, "you seem to have a lot on your mind today. Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

Marinette stared blankly at her Kwami. Tikki had been there during her obsessive phase with Adrien. She wondered what Tikki would think of Adrien potentially liking her. Would the little being shake her head and smile? Would she be supportive?

Marinette decided to rip it off like a band-aid. Otherwise, she wasn't going to get a good night's sleep again.

"Do you think Adrien likes me?" Marinette asked.

"Of course he likes you, Marinette! You're friends and partners," Tikki replied enthusiastically.

"No, Tikki," Marinette stared at the Kwami, "you know what I mean."

"Oh."

"Just, oh?"

"Marinette, I thought you told me that you wanted to try being friends with Adrien after you both found out each other's identities. You've been doing so well. You haven't stuttered in weeks, and you both look so happy," Tikki had a glint in her eye as she spoke with her chosen.

Marinette sighed. "But...have you seen the way he looks at me sometimes? And last night he hugged me for a really long time. Also, we seem to cuddle a lot."

"Do you want him to like you as more than a friend?" Tikki queried.

"Yes," Marinette replied without hesitation.

Tikki posed a second question. "Do you still like him?"

Marinette gathered her thoughts before speaking. "Honestly, I like him even more now. I always thought Chat was incredible, and Adrien is well...Adrien. Now that I know they're the same person, my heart feels...what's the word….full? It feels like I've finally completed this puzzle that couldn't be solved until now because I didn't have all the pieces. Does that make sense?"

"Oh, Marinette!" Tikki clapped her paws together in delight, "I knew it would all come to you one day! I'm so happy for you!"

"Wait, what?" Marinette turned her head to the side.

"I learned a long time ago that meddling in the relationships between a Ladybug and her Chat Noir was never helpful. I will always be here to offer encouragement, but you really needed to figure this all out on your own. Trust me it's better this way," Tikki explained.

"So," Marinette began tentatively, "Do you think he might like me?"

Tikki giggled. "Marinette, he loves you. I've heard from Plagg that he's always admired Marinette even though he was in love with Ladybug. Apparently, it wasn't hard for him to start loving both sides of the mask. Plagg keeps complaining about Adrien's tendency to be a bit of a hopeless romantic, but I think he secretly likes it. I know that Plagg is glad that his charge is finally happy. He cares in his own way."

"Really?" Marinette questioned wistfully. Hearing Tikki's confirmation made her insides melt. She could feel warm, happy tears begin to form in the corners of her eyes.

Tikki laughed again. "Yes, really!"

Marinette's hands rushed to her cheeks and she spun in place. Her smile was so wide that it was beginning to hurt her face, but she didn't care. She eventually flopped down on her chaise and clutched her hands to her chest.

"So," Tikki began again, "what's your plan, Marinette?"

Marinette didn't need to think about her next course of action.

"I need to go see him...now," she responded.

"Well, I'm ready whenever you're ready to go," Tikki said beaming at her charge.

Marinette looked at the clock. It was now 11:30, and she knew that Adrien had most likely just gotten home. It was now or never. She was doing this.

"Tikki, SPOTS ON!"

* * *

Marinette lept over the rooftops at top speed. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears. A confusing mix of nervousness and excitement churned in her stomach.

Upon reaching the Agreste mansion, she momentarily stopped before making her presence known. Inside the room, Adrien was sprawled out face down on his bed with one of his legs dangling off the side. He still had on his dress shirt and suit pants. His left shoe was still on his foot, and his navy blue tie was balled up in one of his hands. Plagg was flitting around his charge gesticulating wildly, and Adrien sporadically flopped his arms in what looked like a response to his Kwami's pestering.

Marinette took a deep breath and knocked on the window. Adrien immediately turned over and sat up. As his eyes met hers a bright smile enveloped his face. He bounded across the room, opened the window, and pulled Marinette into a tight hug.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, "I didn't think I was going to get to see you today."

Marinette returned the hug. "Well, hello to you, too, Adrien!"

After a few moments, Adrien finally let her go. He held both of her hands in his, and he gently bit his lower lip.

Marinette broke the silence. "Would it be okay if I came in and sat down for a bit?"

Adrien's eyes widened in worry. "I'm so sorry. Where are my manners? Of course, you can come in and sit down! You're not hurt, are you? You're okay, right? Please tell me you're okay?"

"No, Adrien, stop. It's okay," she reassured him, "I'm fine. I'm okay. Nothing is wrong. I just need to talk to you about something, but I wanted to make sure that you were up to having company first. I know you must be tired."

"Oh," he said. His expression calmed slightly, but a hint of worry still lingered behind his eyes. "You need to talk to me about something?"

"Adrien it's not a bad thing. Please don't worry," Marinette looked down and started to panic internally, "I'm so sorry. I don't want to worry you. You're probably tired. It's not a big deal...well...no it is a big deal, but it's not bad. Sorry...I...sorry. I just...I should just go. We can talk about it another time. I should let you sleep. Sorry."

Marinette turned to leave, and Adrien gently grabbed her wrist.

"No, please don't go," he pleaded, "Seeing you is the best part of my day. Please stay."

Marinette saw the sincerity in his eyes and whispered, "Okay."

"Please, come in." Adrien gestured towards the couch.

Marinette dropped her transformation and watched Tikki flit away. Before disappearing with Plagg, the red Kwami offered her an encouraging smile and nod.

Marinette made her way to the couch and sat several seats away from Adrien.

"So," he cleared his throat, "you-uhm-you wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Yes!" Marinette said a little too loudly before correcting her volume, "Yes, I wanted to talk to you...about...uhm…"

Marinette's voice trailed off and she swallowed hard. She felt her breathing become shallow, and she fiddled with her hands in her lap.

"Marinette," Adrien said softly while scooching closer to her on the couch, "are you sure you're okay?"

Concern flooded his features once again. Marinette knew that she had to just say it. She couldn't let him worry any longer.

Marinette looked up and met his eyes with determination. She slid closer to him and took his hands in hers.

"Adrien," she said with confidence, "I'm in love with you."


	2. Chapter 2

Adrien's brain short-circuited. His mouth was hanging open, but he couldn't seem to close it. All he knew is that he hoped that this was _actually_ happening, and he _really_ needed this to be happening.

"_Come on, Agreste_," he thought to himself, "_Say something! She's just looking at you waiting for a response!_"

He attempted to speak, but nothing other than a strained choking sound emitted from his throat. Adrien swallowed and tried a second time, but he wound up sounding like a deflating balloon. He sighed and bowed his head.

Plagg zipped into view and cackled. "You did it this time, Bug! I think you broke him!"

Tikki also emerged from hiding. "Leave them alone, Plagg!"

Marinette pulled her hands away from Adrien's and looked at her Kwami. Her bottom lip trembled slightly.

"Tikki, maybe this wasn't a good idea. Maybe he's not ready for this. We should probably go home."

"Oh, Marinette," Tikki sighed, "Are you sure?"

"Adrien," Marinette began, "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have come over. Just forget

what I said. Don't worry about it. I'll be okay. It's fine."

He could see that Marinette did not look "fine". She got up from the couch and turned to leave. As she walked away, she shot him an apologetic look.

Adrien's brain finally rebooted.

"Wait!" he said a little too loudly.

Marinette stopped in her tracks, turned on her heel, and shot Adrien a hopeful glance. He could see tears brimming in the corners of her eyes.

"Yes," her voice was almost a whisper.

"Please tell me I'm awake right now," he pleaded.

She cocked her head to the side. "What?"

"Please tell me that I didn't walk back into this room after two excruciating photo shoots and that absolutely mind-numbing party and pass out on my bed. Please, please, _please_ tell me that this isn't all a dream."

"No, Adrien. This is really happening, and I'm really here. I promise."

"In that case, my lady...Princess...Bugaboo," with each name he took a step closer to Marinette, "could you do me a favor, and repeat what you just said?"

"Uhm," she began tentatively, "I love you."

Adrien released a breath and relief washed over his features. Marinette met his eyes and bit her bottom lip.

"Oh, thank God!" he said breathlessly.

"Wait..what?" she questioned.

Adrien quickly closed the remaining gap between them. He pulled her into his arms and nuzzled his cheek on the crown of her head.

"I love you, too, Marinette," he said reverently, "There are no words that can adequately express how much I love you. I'm just so happy that you love me, too. I didn't think you did."

Marinette pulled away from him and looked in his eyes. "Adrien, I've loved you since the day we met. I thought you were just like Chole, but then you showed me kindness even when I was stubborn and unforgiving. You gave me your umbrella, and you walked away in the rain. Your selflessness struck my heart, and it has beat for you and only you ever since."

"All this time?" he asked.

"Yeah," Marinette looked down, "I would have said something before, but you've always said that I was such a 'great friend'. I knew you liked Ladybug, but I thought that maybe your feelings changed once you knew it was me. I tried being a good friend to you these past few weeks, but then I started thinking last night that maybe you did actually like me. I didn't sleep, and I've been thinking about it all day. About 30 minutes ago I had this burst of courage, and I had to talk to you right away...but now I'm starting to panic a little bit again, and my heart is beating really fast, and I can't feel my legs, and it's getting hot in here…"

Adrien moved to wrap his arms around the flailing girl. "Shhh," he soothed, "it's okay. It's just me, and I'm so happy you told me. Thank you, Marinette. I love you so much. You're so amazing."

He rubbed circles on her back until he felt her breathing begin to regulate and the tenseness in her muscles melt away. His heart pounded in his chest as Marinette returned the embrace.

"I'm sorry," Adrien finally said breaking the silence while keeping Marinette in his arms.

"Why are you sorry?" she asked gently.

"I should have said something sooner. Falling in love with Marinette was a no brainer when I found out you were Ladybug. I admired you so much already, and you were always a wonderful friend to me. When my Princess turned out to be my lady, I only fell harder. I was afraid to say anything because I always assumed that you liked Luka. You always told Chat that there was another boy...I'm sorry...I just assumed." He hung his head low.

"Well," Marinette mused, "Luka did confess his love to me, and it was rather flattering."

"He did?" Adrien took in a sharp breath. He could feel a small pang of jealousy course through his veins; however, this feeling dissipated when he heard Marinette's response.

"Yeah, but my heart belonged to someone else. It was always you, and it will always be you," she explained, "If anything, I'm sorry for breaking your heart, Chaton. I may have been a little blinded by you to actually notice...well...you."

"Actually, if I'm being completely honest, I'm not really that upset with all of this. You rejecting me because you had a crush on _me_ is probably the best possible way this could have panned out."

"We're idiots," Marinette commented.

"Ah, yes," Adrien began, "but we are idiots who were in love with each other the whole time. I mean, here I was thinking that I had no chance with quite literally the most incredible human being I've ever met."

A fiery blush spread up Marinette's neck and across her face. She groaned and buried her head in Adrien's shirt.

Adrien chuckled.

"_How am I supposed to function if she keeps being so adorable_," he thought.

"Marinette?" he asked.

"Marinette's not here right now," her words were muffled.

"My lady, was it something I said?"

"You keep saying cute things with your pretty face, and it makes my brain feel like it's going to explode."

Adrien laughed harder. "Well, now you know how it feels every time I look at you."

Marinette pulled her hands away from his sides and covered her blush. Adrien smiled and removed her hands from her face. He looked into her eyes.

She bit her lip again, and he suddenly found himself wondering how her lips would feel against his. He decided it would be nice to actually remember kissing Marinette for a change.

"Would it be okay if I kissed you?" he questioned not breaking eye contact.

"Y-yeah," she responded, "I would like that very much."

His hand gently lifted Marinette's head as she closed her eyes. Finally, he closed the gap. It was short but powerful. The softness of her lips sent electricity coursing through his body. Smiles spread across both of their faces.

As they pulled away from each other, Adrien felt breathless, "Wow. So that's what it's like."

"Yeah," Marinette said quickly, "Do you think we could do that again?"

Adrien's lips crashed against hers, and she responded with equal vigor. It was like a thousand fireworks were exploding inside of him at the same time. However, it ultimately made him feel safe, loved, and warm.

He realized that as long as he was with Marinette, he would never have to feel unloved ever again. _She_ loved him. _She_ had chosen him. _She_ made him feel like the luckiest human on the planet.

Finally, he wasn't alone anymore. He had her, and he never wanted to go back to being by himself.

As much as he wanted it to continue forever, Adrien pulled away from the kiss. There was something he needed to do.

"Marinette, will you be my girlfriend?" he asked without hesitation.

Her breath hitched. She looked at him and smiled brightly. "Yes, I will be your girlfriend."

He leaned his forehead against hers, barely able to contain his excitement. Then, in one swift movement, he scooped up Marinette into his arms and carried her across the room.

She squealed excitedly, and he beamed.

"Adrien!" she exclaimed, "What are you doing?"

"Well," he began, "I am carrying my _girlfriend_ over to the couch so she and I can properly cuddle while we plan our first date."

"Date?"

"Why, of course, my lady! I plan on spoiling you and treating you like the princess you are."

He gently placed her down on the couch. As he sat he pulled her close and rested his head on top of her own.

"Adrien!" she giggled as she spoke his name. It was a sound that Adrien never wanted to forget.

"Please don't take this away from me, Princess. I have been dreaming of taking you out on dates for a long time. Please let me love you how you deserve to be loved," he pleaded while offering Marinette his best kitten eyes.

"You're too much, kitty, but I guess I'll let you plan our first date," she conceded, "Please don't go too overboard though."

Adrien shook his head. "My lady, I have a lifetime to show you how much you mean to me. I don't need to do it all at once. Let me take you out tomorrow. I have a photo shoot in the morning, but in the afternoon I can be all yours."

"Sounds good, Chaton," Marinette yawned.

"Are you feeling sleepy, my love?"

"Mmmmm...maybe…" she mumbled into his shoulder.

"As much as I love you and want you to stay with me forever, I think it may be time to call it a night. My lady needs to be well rested so I can blow her away tomorrow with my super-effective flirting."

"You mean your puns?"

"You know my puns are purrrrrfect. They are art."

Marinette snorted. "Whatever you say, kitty. I'm sure I'll be blown away with whatever you plan for us to do tomorrow."

"I'll be done at noon," he remarked.

"Just as long as you don't bother me before 10:00 a.m., we'll be in good shape."

"Is that a threat?" he laughed.

"A little," she retorted, "Your dad's really going heavy with these photo shoots recently. I think you need to get to sleep, too."

"Yeah, he is, but he's taking advantage of the fact that I don't have school right now."

Marinette pushed herself off of the couch. "Well, I'm sure you have to get up early. I won't keep you awake any longer. I'll see you tomorrow."

Adrien stood up and pulled her into his arms again. "I'll come over when I'm done."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Me, too, Princess."

She gave him one last peck on the lips before transforming and vaulting out the window.

Adrien fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. His dreams were peaceful and sweet, and a smile never left his face. This may have been the best day of his life, but he was planning to make tomorrow even better.


	3. Chapter 3

Unlike the previous night, Marinette slept soundly. Having Adrien know her true feelings was a blessed relief. She felt like she could breathe again.

She awoke to the sound of her phone chiming. She groaned and reluctantly reached for her device. The time read 8:37 a.m.

"_I thought I told him not to bother me before 10:00 a.m._," she mentally noted.

She unlocked her phone and opened her messages. To her surprise, the text wasn't from Adrien.

**ALYA- **Hey girl! Guess who's I saw in the park this morning?

Before Marinette could respond, another notification appeared on her phone. This time it was a picture of a photo shoot in progress. Adrien was sitting on the edge of the fountain, and it looked like he was waiting for instructions. Marinette zoomed in on her boyfriend's face and frowned. He looked miserable.

**ALYA- **Marinette?

**ALYA- **Rise and shine Sleeping Beauty! :D

Marinette rolled her eyes and began typing a response. Alya also knew not to wake her up before 10:00 a.m. on her days off.

**MARINETTE- **Do you know what time it is? :(

**ALYA- **Yeah. It's time for you to get your lazy butt over to the park. :P

**MARINETTE- **What are you doing up so early?

**ALYA-** I had a breakfast date with Nino, and we decided to walk in the park.

**ALYA- **Then we saw Mr. Sunshine, and we know how close you two have gotten over the past few weeks. This would be the perfect opportunity to spend some quality time with him!

**MARINETTE- **You know that he's not allowed to talk to any of us when he's in the middle of a photo shoot. I don't want to get him in trouble.

**ALYA-**I didn't say that we were going to crash the photo shoot, but maybe you could just smile and wave from far away. Come on, the poor guy looks like he could use some cheering up.

**ALYA- **There's literally no reason not to show up.

**ALYA- **You're already awake.

**ALYA- **It's across the street from your apartment.

**ALYA- **It's a beautiful day.

**ALYA- **You love him.

**ALYA- **Come on… :(

As much as she hated to admit it, Marinette couldn't argue with that logic. She tossed the covers off and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

Maybe surprising her new boyfriend in the park would wipe that frown off of his face. She hated to see him looking so droopy. Someone as amazing as Adrien should have a smile on his face.

"_Should I tell Alya about our new relationship status before I meet up with her_?" Marinette thought, "_Nah! She's gonna flip. This is going to be hilarious."_

She quietly laughed to herself. Plagg was definitely starting to rub off on her. She then proceeded to type out her response.

**MARINETTE- **FINE!

**MARINETTE- **I'll be there soon.

**ALYA- **:D

**ALYA- **AWESOME!

**ALYA- **See you soon! ;)

Marinette dragged herself out of the bed and stumbled into the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror.

"_Even though our date isn't until later, maybe I should start the day looking cute_," she pondered.

"Tikki," Marinette called.

The Kwami zoomed into view.

"Yes, Marinette?" Tikki yawned.

Marinette looked at her Kwami with a smile. "How do you think Adrien would like me with curly hair?"

Tikki giggled in response.

* * *

It was 9:58 a.m. by the time Marinette walked out of the bakery door. She wound up putting on a dusty pink sundress, a light denim jacket, and strappy sandals. Her hair was down with loose curls that elegantly framed her face. Sure, it had taken her a little longer to get ready, but she decided that it had been time well spent.

Before leaving, Marinette grabbed an assortment of pastries to share with her friends. She rolled her eyes as her parents smiled when they handed her the box. She wondered what they would think about her new boyfriend. They would probably be thrilled.

Marinette was vibrating with excitement at the idea of seeing Adrien again. However, she knew that she had to play it cool to get the best reaction possible out of her friends. She took a deep breath and channeled her inner Ladybug poker face.

She looked both ways before bolting across the street. Alya had texted her several times while she had been getting ready, so Marinette knew that she and Nino were still in the park.

After several minutes, she spotted them on a bench. Nino had his arm wrapped around Alya, and she had her head on his shoulder. They were laughing and smiling.

Alya perked up and waved her arm when she spotted Marinette. Nino acknowledged her presence with a nod.

"Finally!" Alya exclaimed, "Where have you been? Your little sunflower over there is wilting more and more with each passing second."

"Good morning to you, too, Alya," Marinette smirked, "You two look cozy."

"Yeah, you should try it sometime," Alya noted with a grin.

"Whatever you say." Marinette waved her hand dismissively.

"I'm sure it would make that poor, blond model over there pretty happy. Maybe you should go help him out," Alya teased.

She couldn't wait to see the look on Alya's face when she figured everything out. Marinette suppressed a chuckle.

"You know I can't just go over there and crash a photo shoot. If I did that, I'd probably be blacklisted in the fashion industry, and I'm not really out to destroy my career before it even starts," Marinette retorted.

"True, but it probably wouldn't hurt to let him know that you're here. Recently I've seen that boy light up whenever you walk into a room," Alya suggested.

Nino nodded in agreement, "It's true. Now, when someone brings you up in a conversation his whole face changes."

"Really?" Marinette said softly.

"Really," Nino confirmed.

Had he really been looking at her like that all along? Sure, it's only been a few weeks since the reveal, but she assumed that he was just glad to finally know who Ladybug was. Did she really make him happy?

Nino broke Marinette out of her reverie. "Yeah, dude, whatever you're doing for my man keep it up. I've never seen him smile so much."

Marinette could feel tears of joy prickling the corners of her eyes. Avoiding Nino and Alya's gaze, she turned and walked toward the photo shoot.

Even though she was still a respectable distance away, she attempted to get Adrien's attention. She waved a few times before his eyes flicked towards her movement. It looked like it took a second for it to register in Adrien's brain that he was looking at Marinette, but once he realized who was waving at him he beamed. All the darkness that had been hovering over his features melted away. A goofy, lovesick grin spread across his face. She returned his smile with enthusiasm.

"_That's my loveable dork_," Marinette thought as she giggled to herself.

As he continued to look at her, she could feel the butterflies in her stomach doing somersaults. Her face started to feel warmer as a creeping blush settled in.

Adrien looked away as his photographer spoke to him. He nodded and said something in return. When he turned back to Marinette he mouthed "ten minutes" and held up ten fingers. Marinette shook her head in acknowledgment and pointed towards the bench where Alya and Nino were still sitting. He smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

Marinette returned to her friends and sat down. She could feel her heart fluttering as she thought about the smile Adrien had just given her. She sighed as she recalled the kisses they shared only hours ago. Even though she was sitting, Marinette felt like she was floating through the air.

"Girl, you got it bad," Alya laughed, "I haven't seen that lovesick grin in a while. When did that start back up again? Is that whole 'I'm just trying to be his friend right now' thing not working for you anymore?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Marinette said in an attempt to play it cool. She couldn't reveal her secret yet.

"Mmmmmhmmm." Alya did not look convinced.

Not wanting to give anything away, Marinette quickly changed the subject. She asked Alya and Nino what they had been up to during the first few days of summer break. Alya spoke animatedly about an article she wrote for the Ladyblog that got a lot of views, and Nino talked passionately about a new mix he was creating. She smiled and listened politely.

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her shoulders and chest. As the arms gave her a gentle squeeze, Marinette jumped and squeaked in surprise.

"Hey, Princess," a warm, familiar voice spoke softly in her ear, "I didn't mean to startle you. I missed you."

"Woah, man, hey! Where did you come from? We didn't even hear you," Nino remarked.

Adrien pulled his arms away from Marinette and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah," he chuckled nervously, "Sorry about that."

"Sometimes I swear you must be part cat or something, man. I mean, no one is that quiet. It's not natural, dude," Nino commented.

Marinette snorted, and she swore she could hear Plagg stifle a cackle from inside his chosen's shirt. Adrien shot Marinette a knowing glance and rolled his eyes.

Adrien moved to the front of the bench and pulled Marinette out of her seat.

He leaned in and whispered, "So, I'm guessing you haven't told them yet?"

"Nope," she whispered in return.

"So, are we keeping this a secret, or are we putting on a show?" he mused still leaning in closely.

"I thought a show could be kind of fun," Marinette smirked.

"There's probably going to be pictures."

"I don't care."

"They'll probably wind up on Instagram."

"That's fine with me. Will your dad be okay with it?"

"I don't care what he thinks," Adrien mumbled.

"Sounds good to me," Marinette said leaning in closer.

"Okay, you two," Alya interrupted, "Care to share with the class?"

Adrien ignored Alya and pulled back to look Marinette in the eyes. He smiled brightly as his hand moved to brush a tendril of loose hair from her face.

"Your hair is down," he remarked, "You look beautiful."

Marinette blushed again and looked down. He gently moved his hand to lift up her chin. As he did so, her eyelids fluttered. Marinette heard Adrien's breath hitch as his eyes met hers again.

"May I?" he asked softly.

"Always," Marinette replied.

Adrien closed the gap between them. When their lips met, Marinette once again experienced the floating sensation she felt only moments ago. Only this time, she felt like she was being vaulted across the universe to dance among the stars. She decided that kisses from Adrien were her new favorite thing.

For a moment, the world melted away around them. Marinette felt like she and Adrien were in their own personal bubble...until they were interrupted by an ear-piercing screech.

"WHAT WAS THAT!?" Alya screamed.

"Whatever do you mean?" Marinette shot her friend a teasing grin.

"MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG! WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?"

"Last night."

"Wait...you're telling me that we've been talking all morning, and you didn't think this

would be something important to mention?"

"Well, I kind of wanted to see how you'd react. Turns out it was worth it."

Alya groaned in frustration and buried her head in her hands. She then lifted her head, shrugged, and pulled out her phone.

"You are going to be the death of me," she noted, "but at least my ship is sailing. Please continue looking cute. Don't mind me."

Adrien leaned in and rested his forehead on Marinette's. He chuckled softly.

"Wow, Princess," he whispered, "Plagg would be proud."

"That's exactly what I thought!" Marinette whispered excitedly in return.

"Just so you know, I am proud, Bug. Thanks for the entertainment," a small third voice quietly declared from inside Adrien's shirt.

Marinette's nose crinkled when she laughed, and Adrien smiled lovingly.

"You have no idea what you're doing to me," he sighed, "Do you even realize how adorable you are?"

Marinette squeaked, and Adrien moved his face closer. He nuzzled her nose, and she giggled happily.

"Oh my GOD," Nino chimed in, "They are even worse than we ever could have imagined. Like, we knew they were going to be bad, but this...we can't even be within ten feet of them anymore."

"Shhhh!" Alya scolded, "Shut up, Nino. We're gonna need this footage for their wedding."

Marinette pulled her head away from Adrien and saw Alya recording with her phone. Marinette covered her face with her hands.

"Alya, stop," she pleaded.

Adrien moved closer to Marinette and wrapped his arms around her. She proceeded to bury her face in his chest.

"Save me," Marinette mumbled into his shirt.

Adrien hugged her a little tighter. "It's okay, Princess. We'll get through it together. Besides, if you can handle Alya, then you'll be just fine when my Instagram followers catch wind of our relationship."

Marinette groaned, and Adrien kissed the top of her head.

"Ohmygosh! He calls her, Princess. This is too perfect," gushed Alya, "Nino, why don't you ever call me a princess?"

Nino turned to Alya, "First of all, no one out romances Adrien. He's like the main love interest in a rom-com."

Alya and Marinette looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

"That's valid," Alya remarked.

"Agreed," Marinette added.

"Hey!" Adrien exclaimed feigning hurt.

"Second," Nino continued, "Alya, you are not my princess. You are my queen."

"Oh my God, that was smooth," Adrien said as he squinted his eyes.

"That was the perfect response," Alya said reaching for Nino's cheek's, "Come here, silly boy."

Alya leaned in and pecked Nino on the lips.

Marinette folded her arms and jutted out her hip. "And you told us that _we_ were insufferable. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black."

"Shhhh, Marinette. We're going to need this footage for their wedding," Adrien quipped.

Marinette turned around and saw Adrien grinning mischievously while recording with his phone.

She leaned in and whispered in Adrien's ear, "Careful, kitty. Your Chat Noir is showing."

He responded by kissing her on the temple, once again rendering her into a blushing mess.

"Okay," Nino began, "How about everyone just admits that we're all pretty terrible when it comes to PDAs."

Adrien, Marinette, and Alya exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

"Again, valid point," Alya noted.

"I can't argue with that," Adrien said while turning to nuzzle his nose into Marinette's cheek causing her to giggle.

Much to Marinette's chagrin, the moment ended abruptly when Adrien's phone chimed loudly causing him to jump. He scrambled to look at the notification on his screen.

"Ugh, sorry guys," Adrien said dejectedly, "Duty calls. I have to go back to work. I was only given a fifteen-minute break."

"That sucks, dude," Nino remarked.

"Tell me about it," Adrien responded, "Anyway, I'll catch up with you guys later."

He then turned to Marinette and took one of her hands in his own.

"And you, Princess," Adrien looked deeply into her eyes, "I'm looking forward to our date this afternoon."

"Oh my gosh," Alya squealed with delight, "You two are going on a date? My ship really is sailing!"

Adrien continued looking at Marinette. "Will you still be here when I'm finished later or should I meet you at your place?"

"I think I'll stick around...as long as you don't mind me admiring you from afar," Marinette teased.

He lifted her hand and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles. "I wouldn't mind that at all, Princess. I'll see you later."

Adrien released her hand and walked away. Marinette nearly melted on the spot.

"Good," Alya blurted out behind her, "he's gone. Now, sit down. You need to tell me _EVERYTHING_."


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of the morning was painfully slow. Time crawled even slower once Adrien knew that Marinette was at the park.

Today, she looked radiant, but she always looked that way. Marinette was magnificent, and there weren't enough words in the French language to express that to her. She lit up every room and she had the warmest hugs. She was the most incredible human being he had ever met, and she had agreed to go out with him. _Him_.

When he first discovered that Marinette was Ladybug, he panicked. Ladybug was like the sun. She was bright and beautiful, but she was untouchable. He counted himself lucky just to be in her presence. He longed to be with her, but it always felt like an unattainable dream.

Then, Ladybug came crashing down to Earth. Marinette was real. She wasn't this legendary figure. No, Marinette was kind and sweet. She was talented and humble. She wasn't afraid to stand up for her beliefs, and she was a fierce friend. She was so much more than just Ladybug. She was a superhero with or without the spots. Knowing that it was Marinette behind the mask made it much more terrifying.

As he robotically smiled and posed for the camera, Adrien thought back to the night of the reveal.

* * *

_That night Adrien paced around his room frantically trying to make sense of everything he now knew._

"_Plagg," Adrien grabbed his hair in frustration, "Ladybug was Marinette. MARINETTE. It was her the WHOLE time. Like...the Marinette. The one who sits behind me in class."_

_Plagg groaned. "And this is a problem because…"_

"_Because it's MARINETTE, Plagg! She is one of the coolest people I know. She worked with Jagged Stone. She's class president. She impressed my dad...MY DAD...with her hat design. No one impresses my dad like ever."_

"_Isn't it a good thing that you already know her?" _

"_God...I don't even know. I always knew Ladybug was awesome, but it's Marinette. Now she's so much more, and she's so much more awesome than I am. What am I going to do!? I'm going to die, Plagg!"_

"_Jeez, kid. Calm down. Stop being so dramatic. This is worse than the lovesick sighing!"_

"_But she is so much cooler than I am!" Adrien exclaimed throwing his hands above his head._

_Plagg snickered. "At least you got one thing right."_

_Adrien glared at his Kwami. "What's that supposed to mean?"_

"_Bugs are usually cooler than their cats. They have to be. They're always supposed to be the ones with the plan. However, Tikki seems to have picked one that's a bit jumpy this time. She's always saying weird things and running away."_

"_But that's adorable, Plagg! Yeah, it's a little weird, but it's a cute weird. She's so cute. Oh, God! She's not only beautiful, but she's ADORABLE. Ohmygod, Plagg! So many people have crushes on her. Even Nino...OHMYGOD...I tried to set Marinette up with Nino."_

_Plagg cackled and Adrien groaned._

_Adrien continued his rant. "And to top it all off, I asked her for advice on how to ask out another girl. She's going to think I'm madly in love with Kagami. I...AM...AN...IDIOT."_

"_Well, I can't argue with that one," Plagg laughed._

"_PLAGG!" Adrien screamed before falling face-down on his bed. "What am I going to do?"_

"_Maybe you could tell her the truth? As much fun as it is watching you freak out, I have a feeling that it's going to get old pretty quickly."_

"_Well, I tried telling her that I liked her as Ladybug, and we can see how far that got me. Now that she knows I'm even more of a dork in my civilian life, she's never going to love me! I really am going to die!"_

"_Kid, again, you're not going to die. Chill out." Plagg rolled his eyes._

_Adrien flopped over onto his back and covered his face with this hands. _

_He groaned again. "Ladybug told Chat that the reason she wouldn't give him a chance was that she was in love with another boy. Did you see how close she was with Luka? It's probably Luka. How am I supposed to compete with him? He's all cool and mysterious. What do I have going for me?"_

_Plagg rubbed his temples with his paws. "Adrien, you are a model. Do you know how many girls would love to date you?"_

"_But none of them are Marinette!" Adrien exclaimed, "None of those girls know what I'm like in real life. I told Marinette that I was too shy to go to the skating rink alone with Kagami. She probably thinks I'm completely incapable of doing anything right."_

"_You seem to be forgetting about all the embarrassing things that she's done. Remember the time she was running around Paris in her pajamas? Oh, and didn't she ask you to get her constipation pills that one time? That was hilarious!" Plagg rebutted._

"_Yeah, those things happened, but don't embarrassing things happen to everyone? I've still seen her act confident and kind and brave...she's so amazing."_

"_You're still overreacting. Just go talk to her."_

"_No, Plagg. I can't just go up and talk to her."_

"_Well, if you won't do that, then there's only one thing you can do."_

"_What?"_

"_Feed me."_

"_PLAGG!"_

* * *

Even though his Kwami didn't help much that night, he had still been right. The next day at school Marinette walked in the room, shoved a bag of cookies in his hands, and told him that they needed to talk at lunchtime. Adrien was so nervous that day that he felt like he was going to pass out at any given second.

When the class dismissed for lunch, Marinette dragged him back to her house. Before saying anything, Marinette tackled him with a crushing hug. She whispered in his ear how happy she was that it was him, and he remembered having so many of his fears melt away. However, until yesterday, Adrien had still been afraid that Marinette liked someone else.

Having Marinette as his girlfriend made him the happiest he'd felt in years. His world had been dull and lifeless for so long, and then Marinette came along and made everything vibrant and exciting. At the same time, she made him feel safe and loved. He wanted nothing more than to return her love tenfold. Adrien knew that he would do anything for Marinette. Therefore, he decided to give her an incredible first date.

Marinette asked him to not go overboard. So, despite his desire to shower her with extravagance and luxury, he planned a simple, quiet date. He realized that he had plenty of time to give her the world, but he tonight wanted to respect her wishes.

Earlier, Nathalie had given him a knowing smile when he asked her to look up well-reviewed cafes in the city, and his driver chuckled when he asked to stop at a florist before his photo shoot. Luckily, he already had the afternoon free, so asking to spend time with "a friend" had been easy. Hopefully, no one would say anything to his father. This was something he wanted to do properly.

The photographer at the photo shoot gave Adrien another direction. He altered his pose and stared into the distance. He looked up and saw Marinette waving and smiling. His insides turned to mush as he struggled to maintain his expression for the camera.

"Please focus, Monsieur Adrien," his photographer chastised, "You haven't been paying attention all morning."

"I'm sorry," Adrien said keeping his eyes fixed on his girlfriend, "My minds been on something else today."

The man looked in the direction of Adrien's gaze. He chuckled and turned back and look at the young model.

"Something or someone?" laughed the photographer.

Adrien blushed and turned his head to the side. He really needed this whole morning to be over.

"Ah, ha!" the man said pointedly, "I know the look of a man in love when I see it! She's very pretty, no?"

Adrien remained silent and turned his attention back towards Marinette. The photographer proceeded to wave at her, and a confused expression spread across her face. She flicked her eyes towards Adrien, and he simply shrugged.

"Would you be able to focus any better if we just brought the mademoiselle over here?" he asked.

"Wait, what?" Adrien sputtered, "You really don't have to do that."

He started to panic. His father expected him to act professionally when he was modeling. If he found out that his son had a girl brought on set, he was sure to be reprimanded. Also, he didn't want his father to think that Marinette was a distraction. If that happened, he could kiss his free time goodbye.

However, the idea of putting Marinette on the spot worried him the most. Adrien recalled how nervous Marinette used to get around him. They had just become comfortable around each other, and Gabriel photo shoots could be intimidating. Although she often oozed confidence, he still didn't want to put her in an awkward situation.

"You," the photographer barked at an intern, "go get Monsieur Adrien's friend and bring her over here. Get her a chair to sit in, as well."

Too late.

Adrien could see Marinette's eyes widen in surprise as the intern invited her onto the set. He could tell that she was terrified as she walked towards the photographer. A second intern brought her a chair, and she gingerly took a seat.

The photographer sauntered over to her. "What is your name, mademoiselle?"

She sat up straight and met the man's eyes. It was a look that Adrien had seen many times when his partner was transformed.

"My name is Marinette, sir. Thank you for inviting me on set," she responded confidently.

"Well, Mademoiselle Marinette, you are very welcome. I was wondering if you could help us with something. You see, our young Adrien here seems to have taken a liking to you." His words caused both teens to blush.

He laughed and continued explaining his request. "Young lady, would you please talk to my model and try to calm him down a little. I've been attempting to get shots of him all morning, but he looks like he's either going to explode or pass out in every single picture."

Marinette seemed unsure of what to do. "Uhm…"

"It's okay," he encouraged, "You can go on over to him. I'll give you two a few minutes."

Marinette smiled brightly, hopped out of the chair, and walked over to Adrien. She situated herself so the sides of their legs brushed together. His insides turned to mush when she gently placed a comforting hand on his knee.

"Hey there, kitty," she whispered in Adrien's ear, "What seems to be the problem?"

"I'm just feeling a little jittery today," he responded.

Adrien could see the smile in her eyes as she asked, "Any particular reason?"

"I may or may have had something really big happen last night," he said with his biggest Chat Noir smirk.

"Oh?" she questioned with a teasing lilt.

Adrien's smirk fell and he squinted his eyes. "And it may or may not have caused me to not get the most amount of sleep."

"Oh," Marinette looked at him guiltily, "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to keep you from sleeping. Maybe I shouldn't have come over last night. I probably should have waited until today to talk to you."

"No!" Adrien said loudly before correcting his volume, "No, I'm so happy that you came and talked to me. Last night was the greatest moment of my life. You're the most wonderful thing that's ever happened to me. Besides, I slept _REALLY _well. I just didn't sleep long enough. You're worth it though. Don't ever think that you're not."

"My sweet, silly kitty," Marinette mused. She giggled softly and lovingly moved her hand to his arm.

He sighed. "God, I love you so much, and I'd really love to kiss you right now...but there are a lot of eyes and cameras. Don't get me wrong, I would like us to be publicly official, but I should probably talk to my dad first. I still don't care what he thinks, but I want him to like you."

"No, that makes sense," she agreed, "How about this? You do your best to focus and finish this photo shoot. Then we can get out of here and move onto the fun part of our day. I may even let you kiss me again."

Adrien beamed. "I like the way that sounds."

"So," she began, "do you think you'll be okay now?"

"I feel a lot calmer now that you're here, but I should probably eat something. I kind of skipped breakfast because I had to do a few other important things instead. I wonder if they have any food on set."

Marinette grinned, ran to her chair, retrieved a box, and returned to Adrien's side. "Well, you are in luck. I just so happened to grab some stuff from the bakery on my way here this morning."

Adrien looked at the box in awe. "Did I tell you that I love you yet?"

Marinette giggled again. "Yes, Chaton. You did. Here. Eat."

She shoved a croissant in his hand, kissed him on the cheek, and retreated to her designated seat. Marinette gave a thumbs up to the photographer and sat down.

"Are we ready to try again?" the man asked.

Adrien touched the cheek she had kissed and ripped off a hunk of the croissant with his teeth. He looked up at the photographer and nodded yes.

The man shook his head and smiled. "I think I'm going to give you a minute to finish eating that instead."

Adrien inhaled the croissant. Grateful to have finally eaten something, he was ready to move on with the day. He looked at Marinette before turning to the camera and posing.

"_Our date is going to be amazing_," Adrien thought as he flawlessly finished the photo shoot.


	5. Chapter 5

For Marinette, being invited onto the set of a Gabriel photo shoot was a dream come true. It was inspiring. While she waited for Adrien to finish with the photographer, she decided to draw in her sketchbook.

Designing allowed her to enter her own private bubble. The rest of the world melted away as she concentrated on a sketch of an evening gown. Her pencil moved hurriedly against the paper in an attempt to document her idea before it was lost.

"Wow," an unknown voice said causing Marinette to jump, "that looks exquisite. May I have a closer look?"

Marinette looked up to see a smiling woman with curly brown hair and kind eyes.

"I...uh," Marinette stumbled over her words, "sure."

She cautiously handed her sketchbook to the woman who studied her design with what appeared to be a trained eye.

The woman pointed to the skirt on Marinette's sketch, "Is the embroidery on this section on an overlay?"

Marinette nodded, "Yes, ma'am it is. I was also thinking of adding some embellishment to the neckline, but I wasn't sure. The more I think about it, the more it seems like too much."

"Good eye," the woman complimented, "You should definitely go with your gut. I think there can be elegance in simplicity."

"You're right," Marinette nodded in agreement, "Thank you for the advice."

The woman's smile grew. "You are very welcome, mademoiselle. Anyway, my name is Noelle. What's your name?"

"I'm Marinette," she said confidently, "Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"It's nice to meet you, Marinette. May I ask what brings you to today's photo shoot?"

"Uhm...well, that would be Adrien."

"Ahhh...so you're the girl all the interns were talking about. They told me that Adrien had a friend on set today, but they didn't tell me that you were so pretty...and talented for that matter."

"Yeah, isn't she amazing," a third voice entered the conversation.

Marinette turned to see Adrien standing behind her. She blushed as he situated himself next to her. He snaked his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into him.

"Good day, Adrien," Noelle greeted him cheerfully, "I was just having a conversation with Marinette, and she was kind enough to show me some of her designs. Can we expect to see her back in the future?"

Adrien looked down at Marinette. "I hope so. Only if she wants to come, that is."

Marinette modded enthusiastically. "Can I really?"

"I'll have to ask, but I would love having you here," he responded.

"That would be amazing...but, Adrien, I don't want to make things difficult for you and your father," Marinette said softly.

Adrien took her hands in his. "Princess, you know I would do anything for you. Having you here would be awesome. I'll ask my father. Don't worry about him."

"It's not your father I'm worried about." She gently squeezed his hands.

Marinette knew that Adrien's home life wasn't the best. It was difficult for her to fathom how a man who has so much could be so cold towards his only son. It wasn't as if Adrien was a difficult child. No, he was polite and obedient. After learning that her partner was none other than the Adrien Agreste, Chat Noir's outrageous personality definitely made more sense in her mind. No one should have to live their lives without being able to speak their mind...especially someone like Adrien.

"Oh, you two are precious!" exclaimed Noelle.

They had forgotten that she was there. Marinette blushed, and Adrien scratched the back of his neck.

"Oh, kids. It's fine. Enjoy your young love. Besides, it would be great to see you back again one day Mademoiselle Marinette. If you do return, bring more of your sketches. I would love to see them," she turned to Adrien and continued, "I'll put in a good word with your father. I enjoyed seeing you happy today. It's been a long time since I've seen you smile like that."

"Thank you, Noelle!" Adrien smiled brightly.

"Anytime, young Monsieur Agreste." Noelle turned to walk away. "Have fun, little lovebirds! See you later!"

Adrien and Marinette waved as Noelle disappeared into the crowd of people cleaning up after the photo shoot.

"Wow, Marinette," Adrien sounded excited, "You really impressed her. I told you that you were amazing. Noelle even wants to see more of your designs!"

"Yeah," Marinette nodded, "She was really nice."

"Wait...do you know who that is?" Adrien asked.

"Uhm...not really. She said she was talking to some of the interns behind the scenes."

"Noelle is one of the designers who works for my dad, but a few years ago she was put in charge of Gabriel's internship program for university students. She's their mentor."

Marinette's mind went blank. She tried to recall every interaction that she had with Noelle in the past thirty minutes and started to panic.

"Ohmygosh!" she exclaimed pulling on her pigtails, "I had NO IDEA! I hope I made a good impression!"

Adrien chuckled and pulled her into a hug. "You made a wonderful impression, Princess. How could you not?"

"Adrien!" Marinette blushed and nestled her head under his chin.

He squeezed her tighter. "You are the most amazing and talented person I know."

"Thanks, kitty,"

"It's the truth."

"Still, thank you."

Adrien nodded and released Marinette. He then took her hand, bowed low, and kissed her knuckles.

"Now, my lady," he said with his signature Chat Noir smirk, "I believe I was _purrr-omised_ a date. Would be so kind as to join this poor, humble cat for a ride in his chariot?"

Marinette giggled and looped her arm around his. "My sweet prince, I am ready for whatever you have planned. Lead the way!"

They walked through the slowly disappearing set with their arms linked together. Marinette was enjoying his closeness. Adrien radiated warmth, and she soaked it in. She was so unbelievably in love with this boy that it made her dizzy.

Marinette soon became lost in her lovesick thoughts, and she stumbled over a crack in the sidewalk. Adrien's strong arm kept her upright, and they continued walking. Marinette suddenly realized just how safe her new boyfriend made her feel. He had proven time and time again that he would always be there to support her-literally and figuratively.

"Adrien?" she questioned softly.

"Yes, Princess," he responded, eyes filled with adoration.

"Thank you."

"Princess, it's no big deal. Did you really think I was going to let you fall?"

"No...I'm not thanking you for that. Well...I mean...thank you for not letting me fall on my face. I'm actually thanking you because you've always been there to support me...especially as Chat. There have been countless times that you put yourself in harm's way to keep me safe. Thank you."

"My lady, Paris needs you. _I_ need you. I've lost too many people in my life, and losing you...well, I just wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you."

This made Marinette frown. She thought back to all the times Chat had risked himself for her. She remembered the instances he had thrown himself in front of her or done something reckless. There had been times in which she truly thought she had lost him. Were it not for her miraculous magic, he would be gone.

"Kitty, I need you, too," she said while tightening her grip on his arm, "You mean everything to me. I can't lose you now that I have you. Please promise me that you'll be more careful."

Adrien took a deep breath. "My lady, if I had to make the choice between you or me, I would always choose you. However, I will try to jump in harm's way only when necessary if it would make you feel better."

"It would."

"I also wouldn't mind sticking around for a while. My life is suddenly a million times better, and I really don't want to do anything to mess this up. I would definitely like to enjoy spending time with the most beautiful, intelligent, and creative human being in the universe."

Adrien finished by placing a loving kiss on the side of Marinette's head. Butterflies exploded in her stomach and she emitted a tiny squeak.

"I know I keep saying this, but do you even realize how adorable you are?" Adrien said, his voice dripping with admiration.

Marinette nudged his shoulder with her own. "You make it sound so one-sided, Chaton. It seems like you think that you're the only one benefiting from this relationship."

"I wouldn't say that, but I definitely do consider myself the luckiest cat in the world. I'm still trying to figure out how I earned the love of someone as incredible as you."

"You showed me the capacity of your heart. Honestly, it was your inner beauty that struck me to my core. The fact that you are devastatingly handsome is an added bonus."

"Princess, you flatter me."

"Adrien, I literally couldn't speak coherent sentences around you until a few weeks ago. If anything I am the main beneficiary of this relationship. The amount of love you show me makes my brain want to melt."

"OHMYGOD," a small, whiny voice groaned, "Baseball cap kid was right. You two are insufferable!"

Plagg zipped onto Adrien's shoulder while Tikki phased through Marinette's purse in a huff. The red Kwami glared at her counterpart.

"PLAGG!" she scolded, "You stop that right now. Leave them alone. They are young and in love. They. Just. Started. Dating."

"But, sugar cube," he complained, "they're all mushy, and I know this isn't just a phase. My kid is one lovesick kitten. He's _so_ romantic-it's sickening."

"So what? It's their relationship. Besides, I know you secretly love it." Tikki rebutted.

Plagg groaned again, and Tikki grabbed him.

"Sugar cube!" he complained.

"Be quiet, Plagg!" Tikki then turned to the now silent couple, "Sorry about that, you two."

Tikki dragged Plagg into Marinette's purse. An angry growl emitted from the bag.

"It's so small in here!" Plagg grumbled.

"QUIET!" Tikki hushed.

The noises and movement in the purse eventually ceased, and both teens turned to look at each other. Adrien was the first to laugh, and Marinette started shortly after. The duo laughed until they cried. The laughter made her stomach begin to hurt.

When Marinette finally calmed down, she nuzzled her head into the side of Adrien's neck. He returned her affection with a contented sigh.

"We do not have a normal relationship," she stated plainly.

"Would you really want to have it any other way?" Adrien mused.

"No, I love us," she smiled.

"Us," he said reverently, "I'm so happy there's an us. I still can't believe it."

"Well, you better believe it, kitty, because you are my boyfriend, and we are currently on our first date."

"Oh, my love..this is just the walk to the car. I fully intend to sweep you off your feet before the day is over."

"Who says you haven't already?"

"Wanna bet?"

Adrien swiftly removed his arm from hers, placed it on the small of her back, and used his other arm to scoop her up. She squealed with delight as he carried her the remaining distance to the car.

"See, I told you that I still needed to sweep you off your feet," Adrien teased.

"You seem to have short-term memory loss, kitty. You picked me up like this last night, too. Remember?" she laughed.

"Ahhh, but today is not yesterday, and you deserve to be romanced each day."

"You're too much."

"But you love it."

"I do."

"And you love me."

"I really do."

The look Adrien gave Marinette conveyed nothing but pure love and adoration. It was the kind of look she had seen her parents give each other. She always wanted a love as good and pure as theirs, and she had found it. She knew that Adrien was going to be her forever and that they would love one another more with each passing day.

"Ahem," a voice said ending their moment.

Adrien instinctively held Marinette tighter as they both looked up to see an amused Nathalie standing next to the car. The assistant looked like she was trying to stifle a laugh.

"Hello, Nathalie." Adrien gracefully lowered Marinette to the ground and stood up straight.

"Hello, Adrien," Nathalie turned to Marinette, "Good afternoon to you, as well."

"Hello, ma'am," she said doing her best to look the woman in the eyes.

"Adrien, please remember to have your driver take you to each destination today. You are expected to be home at 7 o'clock tonight. Your father wants you to be well rested for the gala tomorrow."

"Yes, Nathalie," Adrien said while taking Marinette's hand and leading her towards the vehicle.

Nathalie began again. "And Adrien..."

He stopped in his tracks. "Yes?"

"You may want to have a conversation with your father tonight about some of the more recent developments in your life."

"Right, could you please ask father if it's okay to speak with him when I get home?"

"I will make sure he is available."

"Thank you, Nathalie."

A small, genuine smile spread across Nathalie's face as she looked at the young couple.

"Have fun, Adrien." Before he could respond, she promptly turned on her heel and walked in the opposite direction.

"I guess I'll be talking to father tonight," Adrien stated without emotion.

"Do you want me to come with you to talk to him?" Marinette asked.

"No, let me deal with him."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I actually have this strange and unfamiliar feeling that everything will work out."

"Maybe my luck is finally rubbing off on you."

Adrien simply smiled in response. Marinette moved closer to him and laced her fingers around the back of his neck. She tousled the ends of his blond locks, and he shut his eyes. He slowly closed the remaining gap between them, and she followed in suit. They shared a chaste kiss that left them both with love-struck expressions.

In a sudden motion, he pulled away from Marinette. "Enough about my dad. Today is about us."

"Sounds good to me, kitty," she giggled.

He opened the car door and pulled out a bouquet of a dozen red roses. "My lady, these are for you."

"Oh, they're beautiful!" she exclaimed, taking the flowers.

"Not as beautiful as you," he purred.

Marinette blushed, and Adrien took her free hand.

Adrien bowed and gestured towards the vehicle. "Our chariot awaits."

He helped her into the car, closed her door, and got in on the other side. Once they were in the backseat, they laced their fingers together.

For Marinette, this really was a dream come true. All of it-the photo shoot, the fashion, her prince charming. She was soaring, and she didn't intend to come back down to Earth any time soon.


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you for continuing to read! Your comments have been wonderful. They have been giving me life during the last few days of this school year.

Today was the last day of school, and I am one happy teacher! Please enjoy this slightly longer and (hopefully) extra-fluffy chapter.

Enjoy!  
_

I'm cross posting this on AO3 and on Tumblr.

Tumblr: gryffindorcls (I will be posting my fics to the "Princess In Training" blog)

AO3: clslovegood47

I own nothing but the plot.

* * *

The feeling of having Marinette's hand in his own made Adrien's heart soar. She didn't just give him butterflies-no, she ignited fireworks inside him. It was like every cell in his body wanted to celebrate her closeness.

When they were apart, a dull, empty ache permeated his being. His heart felt so full when she was near, and here she was...with him! He still hoped that this wasn't all just a dream.

He absentmindedly stroked her knuckles with his thumb. Marinette hummed happily and rested her head against the window. The glow of the midday sun cast a halo of light around her raven hair as she wistfully gazed at the passing scenery. Adrien looked lovingly at his girlfriend, and he felt his heart thump loudly in his chest.

"You're so beautiful," he stated reverently.

Marinette whipped her head in his direction. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth was slightly agape. She released a quick breath, and her mouth curled into a petite smile. Her cheeks flushed, and she looked down at her hands. The evolution of her reaction made more fireworks explode inside the lovesick boy.

"I still can't believe that you're saying those words to me," she said looking up through her long eyelashes, "I've always dreamed of having you look at me like that."

"My lady, you are radiant, and I have always been looking. You just haven't noticed until now. Even when you were Marinette I couldn't help but notice your beauty," he smiled.

"Really?"

"The way you always blushed and stuttered...I found it endearing. I just didn't realize that I was feeling love for both Marinette and Ladybug. I didn't think I could be in love with two people at the same time, so I kept pushing any feelings for other girls out of my head. I loved Ladybug so much it hurt. It made me blind, but everything is crystal clear now. I will never take you for granted again. We've danced around each other for far too long. I am going to cherish every moment I get to spend with you. You are the light in the dimly lit world that I've been living in for years. When I look at you, I can finally understand why people write love songs."

Marinette breathlessly whispered, "Oh my…"

Tears welled in her eyes, and she hid her smile with one of her hands. He slid closer to her and cupped his hands on her cheeks. She removed the hand from her face and moved it to gently stroke the hair on the back of his head. He wiped away a stray tear and leaned in closely.

"I will never stop reminding you of how incredible you are," he said softly while moving to rest his forehead on hers.

Marinette closed the space between them and her lips landed on his. Adrien passionately returned the kiss making sure his actions conveyed what mere words could not. Language had limits, but the love he felt for his lady knew no bounds.

As the car came to a stop, they slowly ended their kiss. Both teens sported wide, toothy smiles.

"I think we have arrived at our first stop, my lady," Adrien noted.

"Lead the way, good sir," she responded adoringly.

Adrien hopped out first and rounded the vehicle. He stood up straight as he opened the cabin door and held out a hand for Marinette. She placed her hand in his, and he guided her out onto the sidewalk. They locked arms and walked towards a small cafe.

Before reaching their destination, Marinette halted in front of the window of an upscale boutique. The store appeared to sell various clothes and accessories in many different styles. The featured display hosted an array of sparkling and colorful jewelry.

She unhooked her arm from Adrien's and peered into the store. Missing her warmth, Adrien stood next to Marinette and put his arm on the small of her back. She instinctively moved closer to him all while keeping her eyes fixed on the window display.

"Would you like to go inside?" Adrien asked.

"No," Marinette answered quietly, "I'm just looking."

"What caught your eye?"

She pointed to several charm bracelets that were draped over a mannequin hand. "I've always loved the idea of charm bracelets. They're memories that you can collect and wear."

"I've never thought of them that way," he said thoughtfully.

"I think that your clothing and accessories should be a reflection of you. What you put on your body should tell your story, and charm bracelets kind of embody that...well, at least they do for me."

"No, I definitely understand what you're trying to say. I may not live and breathe fashion like you, but I do share a house with someone who does. My father says that the clothes I wear and the poses I do during photo shoots need to convey a message to the people who look at the pictures."

Marinette hummed in agreement. She then fell quiet while keeping eyes locked on the bracelets in the window.

Adrien broke the silence. "Do you have a charm bracelet?"

"No I don't," Marinette added with a sigh, "I plan on getting one someday, but for now I don't mind just looking. We can go in a minute. You haven't had much to eat today. I'm sure you're hungry."

"I don't mind looking, Princess. Take as long as you'd like," Adrien grinned reassuringly.

Marinette squealed suddenly. "Look! There's a hamster one!"

Adrien laughed. Her excitement filled him with warmth. "Are you sure you don't want to go inside?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," she affirmed, "I couldn't afford anything in that store even if I wanted to buy something..._AND_ whenever I go into stores like that, the salespeople always just follow me around and ask me if I need help. I know it's because they don't trust teenagers who are walking around their store, but it makes me feel a little uncomfortable."

"I can't say I've ever had that happen to me."

"That's because you're Adrien Agreste."

"Yeah...that's true."

"Everyone in Paris knows who you are."

"That is also true."

"And you're rich."

Adrien shook his head. "Well, I guess I'll just have to go shopping with you then."

Marinette turned her head away from the window and locked eyes with him. She smiled sweetly, and he felt his heart melt.

"You would really go shopping with me?"

"My lady, I would go to the ends of the Earth for you. I think I can handle a few shopping trips. Besides, it would be nice to go shopping with someone other than Chloe."

They shuddered in unison and laughed.

Marinette turned and put her arms around Adrien's midsection. "That would be nice, kitty. I'd really like to do that with you sometime."

Adrien reached out his hands and pulled her close. "Does this mean I get a second date?"

She nodded. "And a third, and a fourth, and a fifth."

He smiled and nuzzled his nose against hers. Marinette planted a chaste kiss on his lips, and he felt his legs go weak.

She pulled away and looked him in the eyes. "Alright, Chaton. You have not been taking care of yourself today. How about we get you some food?"

Adrien laced his fingers between hers. "That would be lovely, my lady. I'm _paw-sitivly_ famished. Shall we?"

Marinette gently bumped her body into his arm and released a small, breathy laugh.

"We shall. I've waited for _fur-ever_ for this moment," she said grinning.

"You made a pun! And a cat pun, too!" Adrien beamed while holding open the cafe door for his girlfriend, "I thought you didn't really like puns."

Marinette walked through the door and took Adrien's hand again. "No, I actually kind of like puns. It's your timing that needs work."

"So...that means?"

"It means that maybe we should hold off on the puns and flirting when there's an Akuma around. I care about you, and I want you focused so you don't get hurt."

"That makes sense. Sorry if I ever seemed like I was just fooling around. Being Chat Noir just makes me so excited, and then seeing you just brought out a whole new side of me."

"Oh, Chaton. You know the reason I say this stuff is because I care about you right?"

"And I care about _mew_," he said while turning his head and nuzzling her temple with his nose.

"Silly kitty," she laughed.

He pulled his face away, placed his fingers under her chin, and turned her head towards his own. Their eyes met.

"I'm never going to stop protecting you though," he said with more seriousness.

"I know," she responded, "but like I said before...please just try to be more careful."

He closed the gap between them and left a light, feathery kiss on her lips. It was his unspoken agreement to her-his promise to work on looking out for himself even if he was protecting her from harm. Even though conversations regarding their superhero partnership would surface again in the future, at this moment, nothing more needed to be said. For the rest of the day, he was ready to focus on their blossoming relationship.

_CLICK!_

The sound of a phone camera caused them to pull away from each other. Upon looking up, the couple saw two girls giggling behind their phones.

"It's Adrien Agreste," one of the girls whispered loudly to the other.

"I know," the other one responded, "I can't believe he kissed someone! Who is she?"

The two girls continued to smile and talk excitedly in hushed tones as they walked out of the cafe. Adrien paled.

"Oh, no," he mumbled.

"That's going to show up on Instagram, isn't it?" Marinette asked worriedly.

"Yeah, probably," he groaned.

She took his hand and gave it a light squeeze. "It's okay. You told me that if I could handle Alya, then I could handle your Instagram followers."

Adrien smirked. "True, but I was hoping to keep you from my fans for just a little bit longer. I'm selfish...I wanted you all to myself."

"What about your dad?" Marinette winced.

"I was going to tell him tonight anyway. I still have a pretty good feeling, but we'll see. Let's just hope that this doesn't mess things up. He doesn't exactly like rumors about me spreading around. This might make him mad"

"Well, that won't do. Let's not let it become a rumor then."

"What do you mean?"

Marinette grinned, pulled up her phone, and opened the camera app. She turned on selfie mode and said, "Smile!"

"Oh, you really are the smartest princess in all the land!" Adrien exclaimed.

He moved closer to her in the frame. Seconds before she took the picture, he leaned in and kissed her cheek. The resulting image showcased a rosy-cheeked Adrien and a giggling Marinette.

"This is the cutest picture I've ever seen," he declared.

"Are you sure you're not biased?" Marinette questioned teasingly.

"Nope," Adrien wiggled his eyebrows, "Could you send me that picture?"

It took a few minutes for him to create the post. The caption he wrote simply stated, "You're my happy place". He tagged Marinette and sent the image off into cyberspace.

Adrien sighed. "Okay, it's done."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Look, it was going to happen sooner or later. Now, come on! Let's go get some food. I'm starving!"

The two teens walked up to the counter hand in hand and ordered. After some protesting from Marinette, Adrien paid for the meal. The couple then proceeded to walk over to a table and wait for their food to arrive.

"You didn't have to do that," Marinette pouted.

Adrien shot her a confused look. "Do what?"

"Pay for me."

"My lady, _please_ let me spoil you. I've always wanted to shower my girlfriend with gifts...and now I have one. I have all this money, and spending some of it on you seems pretty worthwhile to me."

Marinette softened her expression. "Okay, Chaton."

Adrien perked up.

"Just don't go too overboard." She finished her statement by bopping the tip of his nose with her finger.

"I will not make promises that I can't keep," he smiled.

"Adrien…"

"Please?"

Marinette huffed playfully. "Fine."

Adrien's smile brightened. "Changing subjects...I have a question for you."

Marinette rested her head in her hands. "And I may have an answer."

"Why did you get so excited about the hamster charm in the store window?"

"Oh, it's silly."

"Try me, my lady."

Marinette bit her lip. "Uhm...I've always wanted a hamster. I kind of have this dream of getting one with you actually."

He stared at her with wide eyes. "That's adorable."

"Really?"

"And also really quite funny."

"How so?"

"Well, as it turns out, I've also always wanted to get a hamster...with you."

Marinette put her hand over her mouth with her hand, lowered her head, and giggled softly. Adrien scootched his chair closer to hers.

He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I guess that means you're my soulmate."

Marinette blushed furiously and covered her face with both hands. "You can't just say stuff like that to me in public!"

"And not have the opportunity to watch you blush," he laughed, "no way!"

Marinette groaned, and Adrien snaked his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him, and he squeezed her tighter.

"Ugh!" she exclaimed, "You're so mean!"

"But you still love me," he teased.

"No."

"Yes, you do."

"Yeah, you're right. I do."

Adrien tenderly kissed the top of her head causing Marinette to giggle again.

After several minutes, the server brought their food to the table, and the pair happily chatted and ate their much-needed meal. Happiness radiated off of both teens.

Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by Adrien's ringtone. He groaned and looked at the caller ID on his phone. His eyes became wide when he saw who was calling.

"It's my dad," he said with disbelief, "He never calls. It's usually Nathalie or my bodyguard."

"Well, pick it up!" Marinette said with urgency.

Adrien pressed the answer button. "Hello, father. Excuse me for one moment."

He covered the receiver with his hand and turned to Marinette.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "I'm going to take this outside. Will you be okay?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. I'm Ladybug...remember? Now go." She shooed him with her hands.

Adrien smiled and quickly walked outside the cafe. He took a deep breath and moved the phone to his ear.

"Sorry, father," he began, "I had to move somewhere quiet."

"_Why is there a girl on your Instagram page?_" his father asked without greeting him.

"I was actually planning on talking to you about that tonight. Did Nathalie speak to you about arranging a meeting?"

"_Yes, she did. You seem to be having an interesting day_," Gabriel stated with undetectable emotion.

Adrien cringed. He hoped he wasn't in trouble, and he _really_ hoped that his father wouldn't make him come home.

"Yes, father. I am," he said politely.

"_Is there anything I need to be worried about,_" his father questioned.

"No, sir."

"_Fine. We will discuss it when you come home later_."

"Does that mean I can stay out?"

"_Yes, Adrien. Like I said, we will talk later._"

Adrien gasped with excitement. "Thank you!"

An audible sigh could be heard on the other line. "_Goodbye, Adrien_."

"Bye, father. Thank you again!"

The line disconnected, and Adrien tried to contain his excitement. If his father was letting him stay out, then he probably wasn't angry. He was still nervous about talking to his father, but he still had hope that it would go well. Nonetheless, he knew that no matter the outcome, he would defend his lady. Marinette was far too important for him to let his father do anything drastic.

Adrien looked at his surroundings before turning in the direction of the cafe. His eyes landed on the charms in the window display. An idea popped into his head, and he grinned.

"_Surely my lady won't mind waiting for a few extra minutes_," he thought as he pushed open the store's door and walked into the boutique.


	7. Chapter 7

So, this chapter completely ran away from me, but I'm pretty okay with that. There's a smidge of drama at the beginning, but then we quickly return to our regularly scheduled fluff.

Anyway, once again, thank you so so so much for all of the comments. You are all lovely.

I'm still cross-posting this on AO3 and on Tumblr.

Tumblr: gryffindorcls (I will be posting my fics to the "Princess In Training" blog)

AO3: clslovegood47  
_

I own nothing but the plot.

* * *

Marinette scrolled through her phone as she patiently waited for Adrien to return. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had this much fun doing something so simple. Granted, bring on a date with Adrien _may_ have something to do with it.

Ever since they'd discovered each other's identities, hanging out with him had become her favorite thing. It didn't matter what they were doing. Just being in the same room as Adrien made her happy. He made her so blissfully happy, and she wanted nothing more than to bring him happiness, as well. As a result, she racked her brain for perfect second date ideas. He deserved nothing less.

She thought about the things her boyfriend liked to do. Marinette then remembered all the times Chat had asked Ladybug to go to the movies with him. The last movie outing they had didn't exactly work out...especially when Adrien's akumatized bodyguard punched a hole through the cinema's roof. Perhaps they could finally have the movie date he'd always wanted.

Marinette opened the movie app on her phone and began looking at the reviews and ratings of everything that was currently being shown in theatres. She became so engrossed in her research that she barely registered the shadowy presence pulling out the chair across from her and quietly taking a seat.

"Hey," she said not looking up from her phone, "so I was thinking that next time we could go to the movies. Maybe we'll be able to relax and have fun!" She finished her statement with a laugh.

"Oh, I would _love_ to go to the movies with _you_," an unfamiliar voice answered.

Marinette froze.

That was not Adrien's voice.

Marinette looked up.

That was _not_ Adrien.

Looking back at her was a foreign pair of dark brown eyes, a shock of black hair, and a devious smile. A blast of nervousness momentarily settled in her gut before turning into seething anger.

"Excuse me," she said with a saccharine voice dripping with annoyance, "but that seat is taken."

"I'm sorry, but when I saw you sitting by yourself all I could think was how someone as beautiful as you should be spending time with someone who can fully appreciate you," the boy responded with a smirk.

Marinette frowned. "As I said, this seat is taken. Besides, I already have someone who appreciates me. He is outside on the phone, and he's coming right back."

"Sorry, Princess," he chuckled, "but there is no one outside on the phone. It looks like whoever you were here with left you all alone."

Her anger grew. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth in an attempt to restrain herself from punching the intruder. Only Chat was allowed to call her Princess, and this person was _NOT _her Chaton.

"Go away," she seethed.

The boy laughed, reached his hand across the table, and grabbed her wrist. "Come on. Let's have a little bit of fun."

Before Marinette was able to slam the boy's hand into the table, a familiar voice growled behind her, "I believe the lady asked you to go away."

Adrien removed other boy's hand from Marinette's wrist. He tenderly brought it close to him, bringing Marinette to her feet in the process.

He held her close and whispered in her ear, "Did he hurt you?"

"No," she spoke quietly, "but I wouldn't have been able to say the same for him if you hadn't shown up when you did."

Adrien's laugh came out as a relieved sigh. "Careful, Princess. Your Ladybug is showing."

She smiled at his nickname for her. Hearing it come from the right source made her heart skip a beat.

"Ugh," the boy grumbled, "really? _This _is who you're choosing? What could he possibly have that I don't?"

"Common sense. Manners. Human decency. I don't know…pick one because I'm sure as heck not picking you!" Marinette exclaimed with fire in her eyes.

Adrien wrapped a protective arm around her, and she leaned into his muscular form. He felt warm and safe. She wanted nothing more than to wrap herself up in his arms and stay there forever.

"Come on, Marinette. This piece of trash isn't worth our time. Let's go," Adrien declared loudly while guiding his date towards the cafe doors.

If either teen had cared to look back as they walked through the exit, they would have seen the boy angrily reaching for one of the forks on the table.

* * *

Once the pair was safely inside the car, Adrien scanned her body from head to toe. He lightly ran his hands over the wrist that had been in the other boy's grasp.

Marinette smiled. "What are you doing, silly kitty?"

"I'm making sure he didn't hurt you. Are you sure you're okay?" he asked worriedly.

"Yes, Adrien. I'm fine. It's okay. Calm down," she reassured.

"No," he stated, "it's not okay when guys think they can just do what they want with girls, but I'm glad you're safe. I shouldn't have left you for so long. I'm sorry."

"Oh, minou. It's not your fault. Remember, I can take care of myself."

"I know you can, but you shouldn't have to. We're partners. The idea of something happening to you makes me feel sick."

Then it struck her like a sixteen wheeler with brake failure barreling down the highway. She had become so accustomed to standing up for herself when she was Marinette that she didn't always let others help her when she needed it...especially when she was Ladybug. Sure, she let Adrien help her as Chat on more than one occasion, but not as much as she could. She always believed that _she_ had to be the one to come up with the plan to save the city.

All day she had been telling him to stop putting himself in harm's way; however, she, too, put herself in dangerous situations sometimes. Of course, there were times when danger came to her (like today in the cafe), but she had to admit that it was easier when she had help.

Had she relied on Chat's help in the past? Yes, but not enough. She was too busy calling him out on his recklessness. He loved her, and he trusted her. He believed she would always bring him back. Perhaps it was time for her to show him the same level of trust in return.

Marinette groaned and put her head in her hands.

"Wait," Adrien looked panicked, "what's wrong? You told me you weren't hurt."

"No, kitty," Marinette's hands left her face and she looked up into his eyes, "I'm okay, but I'm thinking that I may have been a little unfair to you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, as scary as it is for me to see you jump in front of danger, I realized that it probably scares you just as much when you see me in trouble."

Adrien sighed, "Yes, it does."

"And sometimes I don't tell you what I'm going to do before I do it. I know that usually we can figure out what the other person is going to do, but not always," Marinette said with a saddened expression.

"I think I lost ten years off my life that one time you jumped into that dinosaur's mouth."

"Yes, I realize that now. I'm so used to doing things on my own that sometimes I forget to ask for help or to tell you exactly what my plan is. I know you trust me with your life."

"I do...one hundred percent."

"I've always trusted you to be there for me, but I think I need to start trusting more in the decisions you make during battle. We aren't always going to be able to tell each other what the other person is doing when we're fighting an Akuma, but I know that there are times when hard decisions need to be made in the heat of the moment."

"Thank you, my lady. You have no idea how much it means to me to hear you say that."

"BUT...that still doesn't mean that you can throw yourself in harm's way...AND that doesn't mean that I will ever stop worrying about you."

"I hear you loud and clear," he took both her hands in his, "and just know that I won't stop worrying about you either."

He pulled her close and nuzzled his cheek on her hair. She melted into his touch. Sure Chat had always been there for Ladybug, but now she had Adrien by her side. Knowing that her kitty would fight beside her in and out of the mask filled her with unbridled joy. Adrien was the sunshine that lit up her world on the darkest days.

She knew that letting go and trusting him more would be an ongoing journey, but this was the perfect start. Soon, Hawkmoth and his Akumas wouldn't stand a chance against them.

Wait.

"Uh, oh," Marinette mumbled.

Adrien pulled away from her. "What?"

"How much do you want to bet that slimeball from the cafe is going to get Akumatized?" she asked with a grimace.

Adrien laughed. "Whatever. Even if he does, we could take him. Besides, I would not mind getting the chance to smack him in the face with my baton."

Marinette snorted, "Down, kitty."

"My lady, let's not get caught up in what could happen. I would like to get back to this date."

"There's more than just the cafe?"

"Well, I was thinking that we could go find Andre's ice cream cart."

"You sure you want to go on an ice cream adventure with me?" she teased.

Adrien pulled her back into his embrace. "Marinette, I want you and me to experience the world together. Today is only the beginning of our journey. So, it only makes sense that you and I should go run around Paris trying to find an ice cream cart."

* * *

After reviewing Andre's clues, the pair deduced that the ice cream cart was somewhere near the Trocadero. Adrien's car parked, and both teens bounded excitedly out of the vehicle.

They ran up a set of steps to get a better vantage point and spotted the cart in the distance. Adrien and Marinette laughed and ran all the way to Andre's.

Upon arriving, Adrien scooped her up into a hug that lifted her off the ground. He twirled her around, set her down, and planted a passionate kiss on her lips.

He pulled away and whispered, "You're my everything."

Marinette squealed. "Seriously, you have to stop saying cute stuff like that in public!"

Adrien grinned, "And my answer will always be no."

She blushed as he moved his hand to her face. He gently caressed her cheek with his thumb.

"Well, well, well," a happy, booming voice exclaimed behind them, "it looks like young Marinette and Adrien have finally found each other!"

"Yes, we have," Adrien beamed.

"Get over here you two!" Andre beckoned them with his hand, "Ahhh, it warms my heart to see young love."

Marinette slipped her arm into Adrien's, and they walked up to the cart. It was here that she realized that she fit perfectly into his hold.

"_We are made for each other_," she thought with a smile.

"Alright you two," Andre said thoughtfully, "Your eyes are the bearers of your souls, and yours are intertwined. I see the way you look at each other, and I can tell that your's is a rare form of love-it is everlasting. So, in honor of the beautiful love that I have seen today, I give you mint for his eyes and blueberry for hers."

Marinette and Adrien thanked Andre and took the ice cream together. They walked to a bench and sat so their shoulders were touching.

"Hey, we should take a selfie and put it on my Instagram page," Adrien remarked.

"Another one?" Marinette questioned.

"It's okay if you don't want to. I just thought…" he cut himself off before completing his statement.

"No, no!" Marinette waved her hands, "It's not that I don't, it's just that I didn't think you liked social media all that much. You once told me that you didn't like all of the attention."

"Well," he mumbled, "the attention isn't all on me anymore. If I can't keep you all to myself, I might as well show you off to the world. You're so beautiful and incredible, and I want everyone to know it."

Marinette could feel hot tears prickling the corners of her eyes. Adrien must have heard her sniffle because she found his arms wrapped around her within seconds of her reaction.

"I'm sorry, Marinette," he said reassuringly, "Please don't cry. We don't have to take the picture. I thought it might be fun, but we can forget about it."

"No, it's just that…that's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. You're going to make me cry," she said playfully swatting at his arm.

He squeezed her tighter. "I love you."

She smiled. "I love you, too...so, so much. Let's take this picture!"

Adrien took out his phone. The couple pressed their faces together and held up the ice cream. He took the picture and opened his Instagram app.

"Wow," he said quietly.

"What is it?" Marinette questioned.

"I don't have notifications turned on for Instagram because if I did my phone would never stop buzzing, but our first picture has gotten a lot of feedback."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it already has a few thousand likes and there's a ton of comments."

"Like what?"

"I'll read a few of them to you."

Adrien scrolled through his phone while they ate their ice cream.

"Here's a cute one," he remarked, "It says, '_You two look perfect together #goals'_."

"Well, they're not wrong. We do look pretty cute together," Marinette hummed while resting her chin on his shoulder.

"This one says, '_I think this is the happiest I've ever seen Adrien in a picture'_."

"Awww…"

"It's true though. Being with you brings makes the darkness in my life disappear. This is the happiest I've felt in a long time. You complete me."

Marinette's heart soared. He was happy.

She kissed his cheek. "Oh, Adrien. Being with you is all I've wanted for so long. It's so wonderful, and I still can't believe it's not all a dream. You are my other half. Andre was right...this love is forever. I can't imagine loving anyone else but you."

He sighed and kissed the top of her head before continuing to scroll through the comments.

He grinned. "Most of these are pretty positive. People seem to like it. Oh, wow. Here's a really long thread."

"What does the top comment say?" she asked.

"It says, '_I just checked out the girl's Instagram profile, and it looks like she designs her own clothes. Wow, talk about a power couple!_'. Marinette, there's like 500 replies on this comment."

"Hold on. Let me look at this on my phone."

Marinette opened the app on her device and immediately felt overwhelmed. She had hundreds of notifications.

She was in disbelief. "I have about 300 more followers than I did this morning. How did that happen?"

Adrien cringed. "Sorry, you're associated with me now. People are going to know who you are."

"It's fine. I'm used to it as Ladybug, but it's weird for regular me to have this kind of attention. It's kind of cool. People are commenting on the designs that I've posted on my page, and they seem to like them."

"Why wouldn't they like them? You're amazing, and as I said earlier, your designs are super creative."

"Thank you, Adrien."

"It's true," he stated plainly, "Anyway, let's get this posted."

The caption on the selfie read "_The ice cream is not the sweetest thing in this picture. #shesthebest_". Once again, he tagged Marinette before posting.

They put away their phones and peacefully finished their ice cream while enjoying the beauty of the Trocadero gardens. A soft summer breeze gently blew the foliage around them, and the leaves on the trees seemed to dance to the tune of their love. It was the perfect moment...until a loud crash and several screams sounded in the distance.

"Ugh," Marinette groaned, "See! I told you this would happen?"

"And we will take care of it together," Adrien said hugging her close, "Come on, my lady. Duty calls!"


	8. Chapter 8

Okay...so this chapter kind of kicked my butt, but it is finally done! I hope you enjoy my first attempt at an Akuma battle.

I am still beyond grateful for all of the comments. You all are "simply the best"! Thank you for continuing to fuel my need to write.

Also, I started writing a new story called "Chat for a Day". It's been pretty fun to write.

I'm still cross-posting this on AO3 and on Tumblr.

Tumblr: gryffindorcls (I will be posting my fics to the "Princess In Training" blog)

AO3: clslovegood47  
_

I own nothing but the plot.

* * *

Adrien grabbed Marinette's hand as they ran to a secluded ally. Both teens checked their surroundings.

"Alright," Marinette called out, "the coast is clear on this end."

"Same over here," Adrien responded.

They both called for their transformations. Adrien reveled in the sight before him. Watching the bright, pink light engulf Marinette left him in awe. Even though the reveal had been weeks ago, it was still a surreal experience to watch Ladybug transform.

"What are you looking at, kitty cat?" Ladybug asked when she noticed her boyfriend staring.

"Oh, I'm just thinking about how _fur-tunate_ I am to have such a _purr-ty paw-tner_," he mused closing the distance between them.

"Wow," Ladybug giggled, "you really went all out with that one. You should be proud."

"I am," he said with a triumphant grin, "but nothing will beat the time I used eight puns in one go."

Another crash sounded in the distance. Panicked civilians could now be seen running in the street beyond the entrance to the alleyway.

"We'll have to try and beat your record later, Chaton. I think that's our cue to leave."

"Hey, Bug," Chat reached for her hand, "before we go, I just wanted to say that I will do my best to focus and not take every single hit that comes my way."

"Thank you," Ladybug said with relief in her eyes, "and I promise to try and trust you more out there. Let's be the best team we can possibly be."

"My lady, we already were the best team. We're just even better now."

Ladybug threw her arms around Chat and squeezed him. Enthusiastically, he returned her embrace and buried his nose in her soft locks. He kissed the top of her head, and she sighed happily.

She looked up at him and declared, "We're going to do this fast because I have a hot date who's waiting for me to get back to him."

"And he can't wait," Chat said removing his baton from his belt.

Both heroes took to the rooftops and ran towards the akumatized boy. They stopped once they reached the ring of disaster that surrounded the rampaging Akuma.

The victim had long hair that flowed in the wind. His skin was a golden-yellow, and his eyes were bright blue. He was dressed in a billowing white shirt and tight black pants. In his hand, he held a massive fork like a trident.

"Yeah, that's definitely the jerk from the cafe," Marinette grumbled.

"Look! He's monologuing," Chat said pointing.

"How much do you want to bet that the Akuma is in that weird looking fork thing?"

"Bug, it's not a fair bet if you know you're going to win."

"Ugh, let's just go find out what his deal is and be done with this."

"Right behind you, my lady!"

The duo sprang into the middle of the action. Chat got a closer look at the Akuma.

"Not to be rude...unlike some people here...but are you okay? You look like a jaundiced Fabio," Chat Noir said with his signature smirk.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir!" the victim screamed.

"Yeah, that's us," Ladybug remarked with a hint of annoyance in her voice, "and you are?"

"I am the Romancier! I am here to rescue all the fair maidens from the evil clutches of men," he bellowed.

"Like...all men or just one in particular?" Chat asked snarkily.

The Akuma sneered. "Anyone who isn't the right choice."

Ladybug crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "And I'm guessing you're the right choice?"

"ENOUGH TALK," the Romancier screamed, "Prepare to meet your doom! Say hello to my army!"

Within seconds the heroes were surrounded by hundreds of knights in bright, shining armor. Chat sighed and massaged his forehead with his thumb and index finger. This nonsense was giving him a headache.

"Are those...white knights?" he shook his head in disappointment and turned to his partner, "I'm hating this guy more and more with each passing second."

"Come black cat...join me! If you really cared about your red bug, you would enlist," screamed the Romancier while pointing his trident-fork at the leather-clad superhero.

Chat dodged the blast directed at him and growled angrily. The Akuma shot several more blasts at him while Ladybug surveyed the area.

"Where are all the women?" the heroine screamed over the sound of the explosions.

"No need to worry about them," the Romancier boasted, "They are exactly where they should be: safe."

Her eyes grew wide, "Well, that's concerning."

The victim aimed his weapon at the red-clad hero. "I think it's time for you to join them."

"Nope!" she replied quickly while swinging over to her partner's side.

Ladybug grabbed Chat Noir by the wrist and dragged him behind a nearby chimney. They both crouched low out of the Akuma's field of vision.

"This guy is the worst," Chat noted bitterly, "I have no patience for him."

"Same," Ladybug replied, "but we need a course of action."

"Maybe it's time for a little luck?"

"Way ahead of you, kitty!"

Ladybug called for her Lucky Charm, and a red and black spotted baking sheet landed in her hands. She released a frustrated puff of air upon seeing the object.

"That is for cookies," Chat stated plainly.

Ladybug turned her head towards her partner, "Well, thanks for that astute observation, Captain Obvious."

"But seriously! What are we supposed to do with…" Chat cut himself off.

"_I know what to do_," he thought, "_This must be what Ladybug feels like._"

His partner stared at him with an expectant gaze. "What?"

"I have an idea."

"Is it a reckless idea or a good idea."

"It might be a little of both, but I really think it'll work."

"Will you be safe?"

"My lady, neither of us are ever going to be safe during an Akuma attack. Unfortunately, it is a harsh reality that both of us will have to have to come to terms with eventually. However, right now that Akuma is blasting all of the people he considers 'damsels in distress' to an undisclosed location, and we really can't afford to have you disappear right now."

Ladybug shook her head. "No, you're right."

Chat sighed and held out his hand, "Could I have the Lucky Charm?"

She handed over the object. Chat removed his belt and tied it around the baking sheet creating a makeshift shield. He then slipped the contraption onto his arm. Ladybug giggled.

He smiled, "What is it?"

She giggled again, "You know if you didn't have that belt on your suit, half of my Lucky Charms wouldn't have worked."

"Thank you," he grinned, "that makes me feel pretty useful."

"You're always useful, kitty. Well, when you're not under the influence of an Akuma, but we can't all be perfect," she teased while reaching for his shoulder.

"You still love me," he remarked with a toothy smile.

"I guess," she responded playfully, "Anyway, speaking of useful, what do you need me to do?"

"I need you to help me get some of the knights out of the way while I go after the Romancier. When I call for my Cataclysm, you can come and join me to purify the Akuma. Just stay far away from his blasts."

"Got it. Ugh...why did it have to be knights again?"

"I know, we've already done this. Hawkmoth is really running out of ideas."

"Let's just get this over with."

Ladybug and Chat jumped down in front of the line of knights surrounding the Akuma. Ladybug and Chat started forcing them away with their respective weapons. Once a clear path was formed, Chat ran towards the akumatized victim.

The Romancier aimed a volley of explosive beams at the hero, and he expertly blocked each of them with his shield. Due to the baking sheet's reflective nature, the blasts were redirected towards the Akuma. While the blasts did not affect the Romancier, it distracted him long enough for Chat Noir to extend his baton and slam him in the side of the head with it.

The dazed Akuma promptly fell over into a heap on the ground. The giant fork flew from the boy's hand and landed several feet away. Chat hadn't hit the boy hard enough to knock him out, but the Romancier was definitely having trouble getting back up.

"Cataclysm," Adrien yelled into the air.

As Ladybug landed by Chat's side, he touched the fork with his power-charged hand. The weapon disintegrated into a pile of gray ash, and moments later the cursed butterfly fluttered away.

Ladybug caught the Akuma, purified it, threw the baking sheet into the air, and returned Paris to its original state. The duo fist bumped as both of their Miraculous beeped.

"I only have two minutes left," Ladybug stated moving a protective hand to one of her earrings.

"Before you go, do you think Chat could kiss Ladybug? I mean, you could say no, but all of Paris already thinks we're dating...especially since the Ladyblog now has all those pictures of us cuddling once we found out each other's identities...it would just be really nice…"

Ladybug cut him off by grabbing his cheeks and pulling him into a kiss. He moved closer to her and put his arms around her waist. She slipped her hands to the back of his head where she laced her fingers through his untamed hair. They melted into each other. He never wanted this moment to end.

Their kiss was cut short by a piercing (yet happy sounding) screech. The duo snapped their heads in the direction of the sound. A small group had formed near them, and a phone wielding Alya was at the front of the herd.

"Both of my ships in one day!" she squealed, "So you two, how long has this been going on?"

Ladybug and Chat Noir looked at each other and stifled their laughter. The red-clad superhero then turned her attention back towards the young journalist.

"A while," she responded with a bright smile.

Ladybug's Miraculous sounded the one-minute warning beep. She turned to Chat and mouthed "the park". He nodded and she swung away on her yo-yo.

"Sorry, gotta run," Chat offered Alya his two-finger salute before turning to the Akuma victim, "and you need to learn some manners. You are not entitled to a girl's attention...ever. It is her choice. Not yours."

He didn't wait for the boy to respond before vaulting away over the Parisian rooftops. After that kiss, Chat was anxious to get back to his date.

* * *

Chat landed in a secluded alleyway seconds before his transformation dropped.

Plagg dramatically flopped into Adrien's hands. "I. NEED. CHEESE."

"Calm down, Plagg. You make it sound like I never feed you," Adrien huffed.

"I'm just...so tired...and...so...hungry."

"I bet Marinette doesn't have to deal with this kind of stuff with Tikki."

"Hey!"

"Come on. Let's go find them and get you something to eat."

Adrien walked out of the alley and crossed the street. After walking into the park, he spent a few minutes looking for Marinette. He eventually found her sitting on the bench that Nino and Alya had occupied earlier in the day.

He paused before catching her attention and took in the sight before him. Marinette's head was turned towards her purse, and she was doing her best to talk to her Kwami inconspicuously. The summer breeze ruffled her hair as she used her fingers to lightly brush away a stray lock. She then laughed and scrunched her face causing her freckles to dance on the bridge of her nose.

Adrien decided that he would never grow tired of looking at his girlfriend. It was moments like this that made him remember how lucky he was to have someone like Marinette in his life. She was beautiful. She was incredible. She was his world.

He walked closer. The movement caught Marinette's attention and she patted the spot next to her on the bench.

He sat down and looked lovingly into her eyes, "Hello, gorgeous."

"Ooooh, a new nickname," she remarked, "I like this one."

Marinette rested her head on his shoulder, and he leaned over to kiss the top of her head. He put his arms around her and pulled her closer.

"Yeah?" he responded, "I guess I'll just have to call you that more often, but it's kind of implied. I mean, look at you!"

Marinette leaned further into his hold and released a happy hum. They then fell into a bliss filled silence. It was a wonderful moment...until Plagg poked Adrien in the ribs.

He jumped and Marinette pulled away. Adrien groaned.

"Hey," he began, "do you think we could go get some cheese for Plagg?"

Marinette sat up straight. "Oh, yeah. Of course! Tikki still needs to recharge, and I forgot to pack cookies this morning. Want to head over to my place? We have plenty of food there."

Adrien nodded. "Sure, but wait...do your parents know...about...us?

"Not yet, but I'm sure they'll be ecstatic."

"Really? Because there's a difference between a friend who's a boy and a boyfriend."

"Adrien, they love you. I love you. Everyone involved loves you. I can guarantee that the second we break the news they'll start planning our wedding."

He blushed at the thought of their future. Marinette suddenly realized what she had said and turned beet red, as well.

"You really think this will go that far one day?" Adrien asked sheepishly.

Marinette bit her lip and looked away. "I've kind of been planning our future since we met, so...I hope so."

Adrien was immediately filled with comforting warmth. He now had the hope of having a loving family one day. It was all he ever wanted, and now that he had it, he knew it was something to be cherished. He knew that he had to do everything in his power to protect this relationship and make his girlfriend always feel loved.

Tears filled his eyes as he launched himself at Marinette and held her in a bone-crushing hug. She laughed and returned the embrace.

"Thank you, Marinette," he whispered, "I love you so much."

"I love you, too Chaton," she replied, pulling away from the hug to meet his eyes, "Now, let's go see my parents."


	9. Chapter 9

Hello, lovely readers! We are slowly coming to an end on our "Please Tell Me I'm Awake Right Now" journey. I have the rest of the chapters planned out now, and there will be 12 parts in total (unless inspiration strikes). I may write a sequel, but we'll see.

Anyway, I am still beyond grateful for all of the comments. You all are AMAZING! Thank you for continuing to fuel my need to write.  
-

I'm still cross-posting this on AO3 and on Tumblr.

Tumblr: gryffindorcls (I will be posting my fics to the "Princess In Training" blog)

AO3: clslovegood47  
_

I own nothing but the plot.

* * *

Adrien's hand felt sweaty in Marinette's palm. He was unusually quiet during their short trek to her family's bakery. On a typical day, her kitty would try to make her laugh or talk excitedly about something that caught his attention. Over the past few weeks, she learned that Adrien was vibrant and full of life when he felt comfortable. So, him walking quietly was a red flag. He was retreating back into himself, and that was not good.

Marinette stopped walking and held her ground. She removed her hand from his and crossed her arms.

Adrien gave her a nervous look. "Is everything alright?"

"No. It's not," Marinette declared, "What exactly is making you nervous right now? If it's still about seeing my parents, remember...they love you. They already consider you part of the family. You've been over so much during the past few weeks that they get concerned when you're _not_ there for dinner."

He chuckled lightly and offered her a weak smile. "No, Marinette. It's nothing like that. There was no reason to be worried about telling your family about us. They're amazing people."

"Then what's wrong?" she moved her hands to her hips, "I'm not taking another step until you tell me what's bothering you. And don't you dare tell me that it doesn't matter or that it's stupid. Your feelings are important, Adrien. If this is going to work between us, I need you to tell me when something is bothering you."

Adrien sighed and slumped over dejectedly. "Fine. I'll tell you."

"Good." Marinette took his hand again. "I'm listening."

He took a deep breath. "Well, first I was thinking about how nice and welcoming your parents are. I then thought about all the times your dad called me 'son', and that made me think about how I wish my father was like your dad. That led me to wonder how the conversation with my father will go later. Then I realized that I only have an hour and a half left with you, and that means that I will be standing in my dad's office in two hours waiting to see his reaction to us dating. Next, I started thinking about all the different ways that conversation could go, and then I started practicing ways to defend you. Then I…"

Marinette cut him off by kissing his cheek. "You're rambling, minou."

Adrien touched his cheek and looked at his girlfriend. "I'm just worried. My dad isn't the warmest person. He didn't seem mad over the phone, but I can never be one hundred percent sure of what he's going to do."

"I thought you said you felt good about all this earlier," Marinette said while pulling him into a tight hug.

He melted into her embrace. "I did, but that was earlier."

"And what changed between then and now."

"Nothing. Talking to my dad just makes me nervous, even if it's not a bad thing."

"Well, how about this," she pulled away from the hug and offered Adrien her brightest smile, "if the conversation doesn't go well, I _might_ be open to having a certain ally cat come and visit me tonight."

He hummed happily and pulled her back into the embrace. "Do you think he could come and visit you regardless of how the conversation goes? He has some stuffy gala he has to attend tomorrow, and he won't have the opportunity to spend time with his Princess."

Marinette pressed her face into his chest. "I'll leave the hatch open."

"Thank you," he breathed a sigh of relief, "I love you."

"I love you, too, Adrien." Marinette moved next to him and laced her fingers with his.

She pulled him along the path and out of the park. They looked both ways and ran across the street. The pair were still holding hands as they stepped through the bakery door. Upon crossing the threshold, they were greeted with an exasperated groan.

"Well, hello to you, too, Papa," Marinette said while dragging Adrien further into the shop.

"You couldn't have waited until the end of the month?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Sabine!" her father called into the kitchen, "You win! It looks like they finally started dating!"

Marinette's hands flew to her face.

"You made a bet on us?!" Marinette exclaimed, "That's _mortifying_!"

Adrien laughed and comfortingly put his arm around Marinette's shoulder.

"Oh, sweetie. We knew it was only a matter of time," her mother said while entering the room, "Hello, Adrien. How are you doing today, sweetheart?"

Sabine walked over to Adrien and gave him a motherly hug. He happily accepted.

"I'm doing well, Mrs. Cheng. Thank you for asking. How are you doing, ma'am?" he responded with a smile.

"Such a polite young man. I'm doing well. How about you two kids go upstairs and wait for dinner to be ready."

"Sorry, ma'am, but I have to go home before dinner tonight."

"That's a shame. How about I go put out some snacks instead?"

"Thanks, maman," Marinette chimed in, "that would be great."

The two teens bounded up the stairs and into the apartment. Once they were alone Marinette turned to Adrien and hung her head.

"I'm so sorry about my parents," she apologized, "They love embarrassing me whenever they get the chance."

"Please don't ever apologize for that," Adrien said with a sad smile, "It's refreshing to see a normal family dynamic. You can really tell that they love you."

"Oh, Adrien," Marinette said, guiding him to the couch, "I know it may be hard to see sometimes, but your father loves you...in his own...special...way."

He rested his head on Marinette's shoulder, "I know, but I look forward to having a normal family one day."

"I hate to break it to you," she noted with a grin, "but if you plan on sticking with me…"

"And I am," he interrupted.

"Got it," she snuggled closer to him, "Like I was saying...you're never going to have a 'normal' family with me. I don't think two Kwamis are exactly part of your typical family."

Adrien beamed. "My only criteria for a 'normal' family is one where everyone feels loved. You make me feel that way, and I can't wait for everything that's in store for us. I know we're young, but I truly believe that one day we are going to have an amazing life together."

"Oh, Chaton. I can't wait to make memories with you."

He looked at her with a twinkle in his eye. "We've already started making memories."

Adrien pulled a flat, square box out of his pocket, took Marinette's hand, and folded her fingers around the gift. He then sat back and grinned wildly.

A stunned Marinette stared at the box in her hand and looked back up at her boyfriend. "Adrien, what's this?"

His eyes shone with excitement. "It's for you!"

"You already got me flowers and lunch. You didn't have to get me anything else."

"I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to."

Marinette carefully opened the box and gasped. Her hand flew to her mouth and tears started to form in her eyes.

Inside the box was the charm bracelet from the store next to the cafe.

"Adrien," Marinette said breathlessly, "it's beautiful."

"So, I got six charms to start," he started explaining, "The first two are a ladybug and a cat...for obvious reasons."

Marinette laughed softly.

Adrien moved closer to her on the couch and began pointing to the rest of the charms. "I also got a camera and a spool of thread. Those are supposed to represent us as individuals. I got a coffee cup so we could remember our first date...well, minus the whole creepy guy hitting on you part. Finally, I got you the hamster you wanted. Think of that one as the promise of what's to come. I was thinking that I could keep adding charms as our relationship grows."

She took the bracelet out of the box and examined it in her hand. "This is too much."

"No, it's not. You are worth more to me than all the jewels in the world."

"I guess I really do have to get used to stuff like this if I'm going to date you."

Adrien kissed her temple. "Yes, you do."

Marinette smiled and shook her head. "You missed."

She closed the space between them and kissed him. He smiled under her lips, and she giggled. They pulled away and rested their foreheads together.

"Could you help me get it on?" Marinette asked, looking up at him through her eyelashes.

Adrien sat up and bowed his head. "Of course, my lady. I am always ready to be of service."

Marinette smirked as he put the bracelet around her wrist. "Don't you mean you're ready to be of _purr-vice_."

He looked up and raised his eyebrows. "That wasn't half bad, Princess. Maybe I'll have to pass that along to a certain cat-eared superhero the next time I see him."

"Could you pass something else along for me, as well?"

"It depends, what is it?"

Marinette leaned over and kissed him again. She moved her hands to the back of his neck while he put his hands to her waist. Adrien pulled her closer, and an explosion of butterflies radiated throughout her body.

They broke apart when a soft voice cleared its throat from the room's entryway.

Marinette's head snapped towards the noise. A fiery blush consumed her features, and she buried her face in Adrien's shirt.

"Hello, kids," Sabine said cheerfully, "Don't mind me. I'm just going to leave these pastries here."

Her mom deposited the plate of food on the coffee table. She walked away laughing quietly to herself and mumbling something about getting to plan a wedding in a few years.

"Oh my GOD," Marinette spoke into Adrien's chest, "I'm so so _so_ sorry!"

He laughed, wrapped his arms around her, and held her closely. Adrien rested his cheek on the top of her head.

"I'm telling you, it's fine" Adrien reassured, "I love you, and I highly doubt that it's the last time something like this is going to happen."

Marinette hummed happily and relaxed her tense muscles under his loving embrace.

She looked up. "How much longer do have until you have to leave?"

Adrien groaned and pulled out his phone to check the time. "Ugh. I have to leave in about an hour."

"That's just enough time for me to kick your butt in Ultimate Mecha Strike."

"What makes you think you're going to beat me?"

"What makes you think I won't?"

"Oh, you're so on!"

Marinette quickly set up the game on the television in the living room. She turned around just in time to see her boyfriend inhaling a croissant.

"Hungry?" she noted raising an eyebrow.

Adrien swallowed. "I am a growing boy!"

"My parents will definitely take advantage of your appetite."

"What?"

"If you haven't noticed yet, my parents love feeding people. It's kind of their thing."

"Did that love to feed others get passed down to the next generation or no?" a small gravelly voice said from Adrien's shirt collar.

Plagg zoomed into view.

"Let me guess, you're hungry?" Adrien asked while shaking his head.

"I have been very patient watching you two get all kissy with each other. I haven't been fed in _hours_!" complained the tiny, cat Kwami.

"Actually, Marinette, I'm a little hungry, too," Tikki remarked, phasing through her chosen's bag.

"I'm sorry, Tikki!" Marinette cupped the Kwami in her hands, "Would you like one of the eclairs?"

The little red being's face lit up. "Yes, please!"

"See, Adrien? Look how Marinette doesn't complain when Tikki tells her that she's hungry." Plagg stuck out his tongue.

Adrien glared at him. "Well, I'm sure that Tikki doesn't ask Marinette for food twenty times a day!"

Marinette laughed. "Okay, you two! Adrien, let's get your Kwami some cheese, and then I'm going to kick your butt at video games."

"Thank you, bakery girl," Plagg grinned, "It's good to know that someone around here appreciates me. You are officially my new favorite."

"Plagg!" Adrien growled.

Once Plagg had been fed and was quietly asleep on a couch pillow with Tikki, the teens played Ultimate Mecha Strike and enjoyed each other's company. All too soon it was time for Adrien to leave.

Before saying goodbye, he ran to the car to retrieve the flowers he had given Marinette at the beginning of their date. The two then stood in the entranceway of the bakery holding each other in their arms.

"Thank you for everything today, Adrien." Marinette squeezed her boyfriend tighter.

He returned her gesture with a squeeze of his own. "Anything for you, Princess. Does this mean I can get that second date one day?"

"Yes, and many more."

"I love you."

"I love you, too. Good luck with your dad."

"Thank you."

Marinette moved her face towards Adrien's ear and whispered, "I'll be waiting with the light on, kitty."


	10. Chapter 10

Hello, lovely readers! Here is Part 10 of our Adrienette fluff-saga. Enjoy!

Anyway, I am still beyond grateful for all of the comments and kudos. You all are AMAZING! Thank you for continuing to fuel my need to write.  
-

I'm still cross-posting this on AO3 and on Tumblr.

Tumblr: gryffindorcls (I will be posting my fics to the "Princess In Training" blog)

AO3: clslovegood47  
_

I own nothing but the plot.

* * *

Gabriel Agreste does not consider himself a total monster. Does he terrorize Paris on a near daily basis to steal jewelry from a couple of teenagers? Technically, yes. Does he feel that his actions are wrong? No, definitely not. To him, he is simply a man who would do anything to make his family complete again.

He recognizes that he is not the most affectionate father he could be, but he still loves his son. Gabriel simply likes the feeling of being in control. That's why he started his own company. That's why he raised Adrien the way he did. That's why he's completely okay with akumatizing unsuspecting victims for his own personal gain.

Emilie's illness thrust his life into chaos. He made a promise to bring her back, and becoming Hawkmoth had been his only way to take control of the situation.

When he was notified of the existence of a picture with Adrien and the Dupain-Cheng girl together, he felt some of his control slip away. His son was an emotional boy whose feelings ran deep. He knew first hand how quickly his son formed attachments and how unpredictable he became when those attachments were threatened.

While his son was typically obedient, polite, and refined, Adrien had recently developed a penchant for rebelling against orders. A girl would make this a thousand times worse. Gabriel knew that he had to find a way to regain control of this situation.

Gabriel looked at the Instagram photo a second time. The girl looked familiar. He then remembered that this was the girl who won a hat contest at some point. Apparently, she wanted to be a designer. Adrien could have done worse.

He sighed and massaged his temples with the tips of his fingers. He needed a plan.

"_If only there was a way to make this benefit our family professionally,_" Gabriel noted mentally.

There was a knock at his office door.

"Yes," he called across the room.

Nathalie came in and stood at attention in the entranceway.

"Sir," she began, "the photographer from today's photo shoot is here."

"Good. Thank you, Nathalie. Please send him in."

She didn't turn to leave.

"Is there something else?" Gabriel asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, sir," she said with the faintest hint of hesitation, "Mademoiselle Noelle Dusseau is also here. She would like to speak to you, as well."

"Fine. Send them both in."

Gabriel watched the door as his employees walked into the room.

"Monsieur Agreste," Noelle exclaimed loudly, sauntering up to the edge of his desk, "we need to have a conversation about Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

* * *

When the car pulled through the gates of the Agreste Mansion, Adrien's heart quickened. He thanked his driver and walked towards Nathalie who was standing on the steps awaiting his arrival. His mouth went dry.

"Good evening, Adrien," she greeted him cooly, "Instead of meeting in his office, your father will be joining you for dinner. He's waiting for you in the dining hall."

"Thank you, Nathalie," he responded without meeting her eyes.

As Adrien walked up the stairs, Nathalie reached out, touched his shoulder, and gave him a faint, yet comforting smile.

"_Maybe everything is okay, after all_!" Adrien thought to himself.

He continued through the foyer and into the dining hall. Gabriel sat silently at the other end of the table. He was looking at the contents of a manila envelope, and his eyes did not move to look up as his son entered the room.

"Hello, father," Adrien said politely.

"Please take a seat, son," Gabriel greeted without emotion.

Adrien took his seat at the opposite end of the table and moved his napkin to his lap.

The two sat in an uncomfortable silence for several minutes before Gabriel spoke. "Today, I not only had Mademoiselle Dusseau in my office but the photographer from the shoot, as well. They both came in to talk to me about a certain Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng who made quite an impression."

"I'm sorry, father. It's my fault. I was distracted during the photo shoot, and Noelle was there... and I…" Adrien's father held up a hand, cutting him off.

Gabriel held up a stack of photographs. "Adrien, I received the proofs from today's shoot, and it is the best work I've seen from you in over a year."

"Oh?" Adrien cast his father a worried look.

"You look youthful, poised, and…" Gabriel uncharacteristically sighed, "you look happy, son."

Adrien's brain felt a rush of emotions before settling on confusion. "I…uhm...thank…you?"

Gabriel slipped the pictures back into the envelope before continuing, "I apologize if I ever made it seem like I didn't care about your happiness. Everything I have done is for you...for us."

The emphasis on his last statement made Adrien feel as if there was a greater meaning to his father's words. Gabriel was always secretive, so he pushed the thought from his mind. He needed to focus on convincing his father to approve of his relationship with Marinette.

Gabriel spoke again. "You have so much of your mother in you that sometimes I forget about the traits that you inherited from me."

"What do you mean, father?" Adrien asked hesitantly.

"The Agreste men seem to be cut from the same cloth when it comes to protecting the ones we love."

"We are?"

"It appears that you care for Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng quite a bit. She also managed to impress both today's photographer and Noelle in the short time she was with you on set. First, Noelle informed me that she was a talented young designer. Then, the photographer begged me to invite her to another shoot."

"Wow...really?"

"As you know tomorrow you are required to attend the Investor's Gala for the Gabriel brand. In the morning, you will bring Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng here to pick out a formal dress from my summer collection. She will then accompany you to the event."

Adrien was floored. "Thank you, father! I will let her know."

Gabriel peered at his son over the top of his glasses. "However, understand this...the only reason she has been given this opportunity is because of Noelle's recommendation. I agreed with her assessment of your girlfriend's skills. Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng is young, but she has potential. She must continue to uphold herself with decorum if you wish for this relationship between the two of you to continue."

"Yes, father."

"I expect you to make smart choices, as well. This is not to get in the way of any of your obligations or scheduled activities. You are to maintain a positive public persona, and there can be no scandals. Do I make myself clear?"

Adrien looked down at his dinner plate. "Yes, father. I understand."

"Good." Gabriel nodded his head and began to eat his dinner.

"Father?" Adrien asked tentatively.

Gabriel looked up from his food, put down his fork, and motioned for him to continue.

Adrien gulped. "I know you usually don't approve of me having friends over, but do you think it would be okay if Marinette came over more than just tomorrow morning?"

His father pursed his lips and waited a moment before responding. "Before I can answer that, I would like the opportunity to speak to her first. Invite her over for brunch tomorrow, as well. We can eat together before she looks at dresses."

Adrien couldn't believe what he was hearing, and he only had one question on his mind. "_What is happening right now_?"

* * *

Chat Noir used his baton to jump across Paris at top speed. He was eager to reach his destination. His Princess was waiting for him.

He gently touched down on the familiar balcony and was greeted by an outpouring of golden light shining through the windowed hatch. It was an inviting beacon that provided a warm contrast against the chill of the dark Parisian night.

Chat eagerly tapped against the glass. Shortly after, a hand pressed against the pane and pushed up the hatch. Marinette's head popped up through the opening.

"Oh, look," Marinette commented sarcastically, "it's a cat. Hmmm...should I let him come inside?"

"Well," Chat said, leaning in towards Marinette's face, "a certain blond model relayed a message to this cat earlier today. Apparently, it was from a beautiful princess who lived here. I'm here with my response."

Marinette broke out in a fit of hysterical laughter.

He looked confused. "What?"

She wiped away a stray tear that had fallen. "My mental image of Adrien relaying my message to Chat Noir is of you kissing yourself in the mirror. Knowing you and your ridiculousness, I wouldn't put it past you."

"And by ridiculousness you mean paw-someness, right?"

Marinette lovingly touched his cheek. "My sweet, amazing dork. Get your cute butt in here."

"Oh, so you think my butt is cu…" Chat was cut off by Marinette grabbing him and yanking him through the hatch. He plopped onto her bed with a soft thud.

"Come here, Chaton." She grabbed his bell and tugged him closer. He shot her a lovesick grin, and Mariette pressed her lips on his. His claws carefully raked through her hair as they deepened the kiss. Her arms eventually wrapped around his torso.

"You know," he said breathlessly as he pulled away from her face, "I'm dating Ladybug now. I don't know if she would appreciate me making out with a beautiful princess...even if that princess is you."

Marinette pressed her lips together and hummed. "That's okay. Something tells me she won't mind. Besides, I'm dating Adrien Agreste. Actually, I was expecting him tonight. Have you seen him anywhere?"

Chat detransformed, letting the electric green light envelop his body until a smiling Adrien was left in his stead. Plagg quickly zipped away to go be with Tikki.

"There he is," Marinette mused.

Adrien leaned in further. "Here I am."

Their lips locked for a second time. They kissed until their need for air overpowered their desire for closeness. The pair continued holding each other while Adrien proceeded to pepper his girlfriend's face with a dozen tiny pecks, rendering her into a fit of giggles.

"Your laugh is like a symphony," he whispered into her ear.

"You, Adrien Agreste, are a flirt," she said while lightly pushing on the top of his nose, "I thought Chat Noir was bad, but you have exceeded my expectations."

"You love it."

"I love you. All of you...cheesy jokes and all."

He rested his forehead on hers. "God, I love you so much."

Marinette closed her eyes and sighed happily.

"Also," Adrien wiggled his eyebrows, "it's good to know you like my 'cute butt'."

She moved away and smacked his arm in feigned annoyance.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, raising his hands in surrender, "Your words, not mine!"

Marinette gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Hush now."

"Your wish is my command, my lady."

"Now, how did the conversation with your dad go?"

Adrien perked up and took her hands in his. "Oh, yeah! Uhm...it was...interesting."

"Okay," Marinette met his eyes, "what does that mean?"

"Well, it seems that you really made an impression on Noelle today."

"Oh, no…"

"No, no, no! It's not a bad thing. It's actually...surprisingly...a really, really good thing. Turns out that my father respects Noelle's professional opinion, and she wants to work with you."

"She does? But the Gabriel internship program is only open to university students."

"Yes, but apparently you have inspired Noelle to reach out to younger students who are interested in design. I have no idea what it would entail, but she likes you."

"Wow."

"Look, as much of a butt-nugget my father tends to be sometimes, he takes great pride in his professional persona. So, if he can find something that makes him look good as a designer, then he's usually on board with it. He respects talent and demands the best. He's a nightmare, but he knows how to boost people's careers when he feels they deserve it. However, it's strange. I haven't seen him like this since my mom...well...you know. He typically holes himself up in his office and shuts out the world. It's honestly refreshing to see him take an interest in something new."

"That's incredible, Adrien, but...did you just call Gabriel Agreste a butt-nugget?"

Plagg flew over from across the room and hovered next to his chosen. "Trust me, bug. He's being kind with that designation. You should hear what we call him at home. My personal favorite one is…"

Adrien cut him off. "AND that's enough of that. Thank you, Plagg."

"If you give me the cheese in your pocket, I'll go away."

"Ugh...fine."

Adrien tossed the camembert to his Kwami who happily snatched it out of the air and unceremoniously shoved the entire piece into his mouth. Plagg then cackled and flew back to his hiding place.

"Anyway," Adrien continued, "you know that stuffy dinner thing I have to go to tomorrow? Well, you've been invited to be my date for it. Only if you agree, of course! No pressure if you don't want to, but the offer is there."

Her breath hitched, and she stared blankly at her boyfriend.

"Marinette?" Adrien asked worriedly.

"Oh. My. God. I've been invited to the Gabriel Summer Investor's Gala! Are you kidding me?!" she exclaimed while running her fingers frantically through her hair.

"It's okay if you don't want to go."

"Don't want to go? You're joking, right? Do you know what kind of opportunity this is? It's a dream come true! Ohmygod! What am I going to wear? I have nothing appropriate for something like that!"

"If you decide to come, my father will be taking care of that."

"What do you mean?"

"As a model for the company, I will be expected to wear a piece from this summer's formal collection. If you accompany me, he would like us to be a matching pair. He wants you to come over and pick something out tomorrow morning."

"I get to wear a Gabriel original?"

Adrien scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah."

Marinette launched into a hug. "Oh my God! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Plagg chimed in from an undisclosed location in the room. "But wait there's more!"

Adrien growled. "Plagg!"

Marinette moved her hands back to hair. "There's more?"

"Yeah," Adrien cleared his throat, "uhm...my dad wants to get to know you better, so he has requested that the three of us eat brunch together before you look at dresses."

"What is happening right now?" she whispered.

Adrien laughed. "That's exactly what I thought when he told me!"

Marinette grabbed his shoulders. "This is incredible. I think I'm going to pass out, no...that's too dramatic. I'll be fine. No, I won't. I have so many feelings right now! Gabriel Agreste may not be a great father, but I still look up to him as a designer. What if I mess up? What if I trip and ruin something? Then he'll hate me."

He took her hands and soothingly stroked her knuckles with his thumbs. "It's okay, Marinette. I'll be with you the whole time. Also, you're Ladybug. You are one of the strongest, most confident people I know. You're amazing."

Marinette smiled momentarily before a look of sheer panic overtook her features.

She scrambled off her bed, down the ladder, and over to her closet. "What am I going to wear to brunch?!"


	11. Chapter 11

Hello, fantastic readers! Okay...so this chapter is a little longer than usual. I hope you all enjoy the penultimate chapter of "Please Tell Me I'm Awake Right Now"!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for those who have continued to read and comment. It makes my heart feel so full whenever I see feedback. Thank you for continuing to fuel my need to write about these lovesick dorks!

Also, for those who are also following "Chat for a Day", the next chapter is coming soon. I've been focusing on this fic for the past week. When inspiration strikes, you just gotta roll with it.  
-

I'm still cross-posting this on AO3 and on Tumblr.

AO3: clslovegood47

Tumblr: gryffindorcls  
(I will be posting my fics to the "Princess In Training" blog. Also, come talk to me over there! I would love to discuss my stories and the Miraculous fandom with ya'll!)  
_

I own nothing but the plot.

* * *

Adrien left shortly after Marinette started emptying the contents of her closet onto the floor. It had barely registered in her mind what was happening when he walked over, kissed her on the cheek, transformed, and bounded off into the night.

Marinette stood in the middle of her mess and panicked. She needed help. So, she pulled out her phone and frantically texted Alya.

**Marinette-** OMG ALYA

**Alya-** Well, well, well…

**Alya-** The princess is back from her date.

**Marinette-** I need your help.

**Alya-** Do I need to kick sunshine's butt?

**Marinette-** What?

**Marinette-** No

**Alya-** Good

**Alya-** What do you need help with?

**Marinette-** I got invited to a really big Gabriel event, and I have to go to Adrien's house to pick out a dress tomorrow.

**Alya-** The princess got invited to a ball? How romantic.

**Marinette-** Alya! This is serious!

**Alya-** I'm still not seeing where you need my help.

**Marinette-** I have to go to brunch before I pick out the dress.

**Alya-** ...and that's a problem because…

**Marinette-** I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO WEAR!

**Alya-** lol

**Alya-** Only you would have that problem.

**Alya-** You have the most clothes out of anyone I know.

**Marinette-** He's a designer!

**Alya-** So. You're a designer.

**Marinette-** IT'S NOT THE SAME

**Alya-** Chill, girl.

**Alya-** Wear the green one that you made.

**Alya-** That way you'll match sunshine's eyes. ;)

**Marinette-** Yeah, that's actually good. Thanks!

**Alya-** You are welcome. Now...GO TO BED.

**Marinette-** lol

**Marinette-** Goodnight, bestie.

**Alya-** Night, girl!

Marinette grabbed the green sundress from one of the many piles on her floor. It was a clean-cut, a-line with a thick black stripe at the bottom. Around the waist sat a simple black ribbon that fashioned into a bow.

She put on the dress and examined herself in the mirror. Marinette turned and twirled, but she still felt uneasy.

"You look so pretty in that one, Marinette!" Tikki noted sweetly.

"Thanks, but I don't know. Is it enough?" Marinette shot her Kwami a worried glance.

"Why don't you ask Adrien?"

"Good idea, Tikki!"

Marinette stood in front of the mirror and snapped a picture of her outfit. When she was satisfied with the clarity of the image, she reopened the texting app and clicked on Adrien's name.

**Marinette-** Are you still awake?

**Adrien-** Hey there, beautiful! Miss me already?

**Marinette-** I need your help.

**Adrien-** What's wrong?

**Adrien-** Do you need me to come back over? I can be there in 5 minutes.

She mentally chastised herself. "_First, I freak out Alya, and now Adrien. I really need to work on my word choice in texts. I probably gave him a heart attack._"

Marinette began composing her response when a rapid series of messages bombarded her notifications.

**Adrien-** You're not answering.

**Adrien-** Are you okay?

**Adrien-** Marinette?

**Adrien-** Hold on. I'm coming back.

**Marinette-** NO

**Marinette-** Don't. Please, I'm fine.

**Marinette-** However, I do appreciate the concern, kitty. :)

**Adrien-** Thank God.

**Adrien-** Sorry. I guess I just get worried easily.

**Adrien-** Okay...what do you need help with?

She attached the picture of her to a text and pressed send.

**Marinette-** Does this look okay for tomorrow?

**Adrien-** My goodness…

**Adrien-** ...you are stunning.

**Marinette-** Thanks, but does the dress look okay?

**Marinette-** I want to look good for brunch.

**Marinette-** I'm just not sure.

**Marinette-** Yeah...I'll just try something else.

She tossed her phone onto the chaise and began rummaging through another pile on the floor. Her ringtone pierced the quiet as she found another dress to try on.

Marinette ran to her phone and looked at the name on the screen. Adrien was FaceTiming her.

She picked up the call. Marinette was greeted by an Adrien with messy hair, a gray t-shirt, and black, square-rimmed glasses. His head was resting on a fluffy, white pillow, and he was staring at her with a sleepy smile.

"I didn't know you had glasses!" Marinette said excitedly.

Adrien scrunched his face. "_Yeah...they're new. I got my eyes tested a few weeks ago, and it turns out that...just like my dad...I'm a little far sighted. They arrived the other day. Of course, father insisted on getting designer, so they took longer to come in the mail. I wear them to read and do my homework. I just finished some Chinese drills, and I didn't take them off. Sorry_."

Marinette smirked. "Why are you apologizing? They make you look kind of hot."

He turned on his side, propped his head on his hand, and wiggled his eyebrows. "_Only 'kind of hot'_?"

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Don't let it go to your head, Mr. Model, but yes, I do find you conventionally attractive."

"_Well, if that's the case, then I have absolutely no problem telling my girlfriend that she is going to be beautiful and/or drop-dead gorgeous in anything that she puts on. She also needs to stop worrying about looking good enough because she's already wonderful without the perfect outfit. I say this as one attractive person to another_."

"I just want to make a good impression."

"_He's already met you before_."

"Yeah, but not as your girlfriend."

"_He's never had anything bad to say about you in the past. Trust me...if he didn't like you, he would not be quiet about it. He HATES Nino. My best friend is not even allowed in the house. My dad actually invited you over, AND it was his idea. He doesn't hate you_."

"Yet…"

"_Marinette...breathe. I will be next to you the whole time. Everything will be okay. I love you, and I will never let anything happen to you_."

She closed her eyes and allowed the gentleness of his voice to soothe her anxiety. It was like listening to a hug. She could almost feel the comforting touch of his strong arms embracing her.

"_Try to get some sleep, bugaboo," he suggested, "It's been a long day. On top of everything that happened in our civilian lives, we had to battle an Akuma. You must be exhausted. Just think, before you know it, I will be there to come and pick you up in the morning._"

Marinette hung her head. "You're right. I'm sorry. I must be keeping you awake, as well. You probably want to get to sleep."

"_Talking with you is always time well spent. You are welcome to call me whenever...day or night_."

"Why are you so amazing?"

"_Caring for someone as incredible as you comes easily._"

Marinette blushed. She squeaked and dropped her phone onto the chaise. Muffled laughter could be heard emanating from the fallen device.

She picked up the phone and shot Adrien the grumpiest look she could muster. "Hey!"

"_I'm sorry, Princess, but you are just too adorable. But seriously...go to sleep, Marinette. You will feel better about all this in the morning_."

Marinette's expression softened into a smile. "Okay. BUT...before we stop talking...you're going to wear those glasses more often right?"

"_Uhm...yes? I'll wear them when I need them_."

"Good. I want to see those in person."

Adrien chuckled and yawned. "_Whatever you want, my lady_."

"Goodnight, Chaton."

"_Goodnight. I love you_."

"I love you, too." Marinette pressed the end call button and sighed.

Tikki zoomed over to her chosen. "Adrien is right, Marinette. You should go to sleep."

Marinette smiled. "Yeah. Let's go to bed."

She quickly tossed her clothes back into the closet and climbed into bed. The moment her head hit the pillow, she fell fast asleep.

* * *

Morning arrived quickly, and Marinette jumped out of bed at the first sound of her alarm. Usually, she would hit the snooze button multiple times before getting up, but today she was vibrating with excitement. Adrien had been right. She did feel much better after a good night's sleep.

She quickly put on her green sundress and slipped on a pair of black flats. Marinette then pulled her hair into a low bun at the base of her hairline. She finished her look by applying light, natural make-up.

She stood confidently in front of the mirror and smiled.

"_Today is going to be a good day_," she thought to herself, "_You have an incredible boyfriend who loves you, and your favorite designer wants to have brunch with you. Then later today, you get to put on a beautiful dress and attend a REAL event in the fashion world. You are Ladybug. You are MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG. You are smart and confident_."

A soft knock sounded from the hatch to her room. Marinette spun around clumsily towards the noise and unceremoniously tripped on her own feet. She landed on the ground with a thud and a groan.

The trap door creaked open, revealing a wide-eyed Adrien.

"Is everything okay? I heard a…" he cut himself off when he saw Marinette getting up off the floor and smoothing down her dress.

"I'm fine," she grumbled still fiddling with the hem of her skirt.

Adrien walked into the room and over to Marinette. He pulled her into his arms and looked her in the eyes.

"Did you hurt yourself?" he asked softly.

Marinette scoffed. "No more than usual."

Adrien leaned in and placed a tender peck on her lips. "Send this kiss to where it needs to go."

"Hmmmm," Marinette said with a grin, "I actually think it hurts a little bit more than I initially thought. I think I might need more kisses."

"Well, if my Princess requires assistance, who am I to refuse?" Adrien wiggled his eyebrows.

His hands moved to the sides of her face as Marinette closed the gap. Adrien left a lingering kiss on her lips. Marinette felt her toes curl and her leg lift into the air as she deepened the kiss.

Adrien was the first to pull away. "Any better, my lady?"

Marinette giggled. "That'll do for now, kitty."

He tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear and bit his lip. He backed away, and his eyes scanned her outfit.

"Have I told you that you look beautiful today?" he remarked.

"No, you're slacking," Marinette teased.

"How careless of me."

"I guess you'll just have to make it up to me somehow."

"And...pray tell...how exactly would I do that?"

" Hmmmm...maybe you should put on those glasses for me."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, and then…"

Plagg zipped over and hovered between the couple before they were able to continue their flirting session. "As sickeningly adorable as this exchange is, may I remind you that your father is expecting you in 20 minutes."

"Did...did you just show genuine concern?" Adrien asked, stifling back laughter.

"No...I just...no." Plagg crossed his arms and turned away from his chosen.

"I love you, too, Plagg." Adrien used his finger to pet in between his Kwami's ears. He then turned to Marinette. "He's right. We really do need to get going."

She hesitated. "Are you sure this dress looks good enough?"

Adrien smiled. "Princess, the word 'good' will never be enough to describe you. It's beautiful. You're stunning."

Marinette blushed and covered her mouth with her hands. Adrien removed one of the hands from her face and gently coaxed her towards the hatch.

"Oh, wait!" She ran back to her desk and grabbed her sketchbook. "I wanted to bring my designs with me...or do you think it's too much?"

"My love, that sounds perfect. It's a wonderful idea. Now, come...please...we really have to go," Adrien shot her a pleading look.

The duo bounded down the stairs, out of the apartment, and into the bakery.

"Are you two kids headed off now?" Tom asked with a smile.

"Yes, papa. I'll see you a little later when I come back to get ready before the gala," Marinette said quickly, hugging her father goodbye.

Sabine walked in from the kitchen and handed Adrien a large box of pastries. "These are for you to share with your father, Adrien. You two have fun!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Cheng," Adrien replied politely.

Once they were out of the bakery, they hopped into the back of his car. They soon reached the front gates of the Agreste Mansion. The car came to a stop, and Adrien ran to the other side of the vehicle to open Marinette's door. He extended his arm for her to take, and he guided her into his house. Inside, they were greeted by the sight of Gabriel Agreste waiting for them on the stairs in the foyer.

"Hello, father." Adrien took Marinette's hand in his own.

"Good morning, Adrien, and welcome, Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng," Gabriel said with a subtle nod.

"Thank you for having me, Monsieur Agreste, and please...call me Marinette," she remarked sweetly. Marinette smiled and clutched her sketchbook close to her chest.

Gabriel's eyes tracked the movement of Marinette's arm. "I'm glad you could join us, Marinette."

"Father," Adrien began, "Marinette's parents sent us with some pastries from their bakery."

"That's very considerate of them. Please send my thanks to your family, Marinette," Gabriel paused for a moment, "However, I must ask...what kind of book is that in your hand?"

Marinette glanced nervously at Adrien. He squeezed her hand reassuringly and smiled while mouthing the words "it's okay".

She stood up straight and took a deep breath. "I brought my designs with me today, sir."

Gabriel smiled. "That's a bold move. It shows drive and ambition, both of which are necessities in the fashion world. Is it right of me to presume that it is your goal to become a designer?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very good. I would like to see your sketches over brunch. My intern recruiter spoke very highly of the design she saw yesterday."

"Wow...thank you, Monsieur Agreste."

"Please, follow me."

Adrien continued to hold Marinette's hand as they walked behind Gabriel.

"I told you it would be okay," Adrien whispered in her ear, "I'm not going to leave you."

She smiled and nuzzled her head into his shoulder. He returned her gesture by lightly kissing the top of her head.

As Adrien went to pull out Marinette's chair at his end of the table, his father cleared his throat. "Marinette, please come sit next to me so we can go over your designs."

Marinette began walking away from Adrien, and Gabriel sighed. "Son, why are you still standing at the other end of the table. I should think that you would want to sit next to your girlfriend."

Adrien perked up. "Yes, sir!"

He swiftly moved to the seat next to Marinette's, sat down, and laced his fingers around hers. Under the table, she brought their hands to rest on her thigh, and she covered them with her other hand. She then turned her head towards him and was met with the softest expression she had ever seen on Adrien's face.

His eyes conveyed a thousand declarations of love. Her heart clenched in her chest as the rest of her melted away under his gaze. He seemed to drink in her essence. It was as if being her in her presence was as necessary as water or air. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that someone would look at her like that. This boy was her forever...and she was never going to let him go.

"Marinette," Gabriel's voice snapped her out of her reverie, "talk to me about some of your designs before the food comes out."

She placed her sketchbook on the table and flipped through several pages while explaining her ideas. Gabriel remained silent and nodded periodically while she spoke. Adrien rested his hand on her shoulder helping her confidence to grow as she talked with his father.

When she reached the page that had the design she was currently wearing, Gabriel finally spoke. "Did you construct this dress on your own?"

"Yes, sir," she replied, "I have a sewing machine and a dress form in my room."

"You did an exceptional job for a novice. It's clean and simple."

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me, Marinette. Your talent speaks for itself."

"Still, sir, I appreciate you taking the time to look at my sketches."

"I would be lying if I said that I didn't have an ulterior motive for asking."

Marinette paled. "Oh?"

Gabriel continued. "Yesterday when Noelle came into my office, she spoke to me about an idea she had about starting a junior internship program for younger students who were looking to study fashion in university. She talked to me about the merits of fostering the next generation and how aspiring designers like you would benefit from such a program. To her surprise, I agreed. When I was younger, my family did not support my passion. I created this company from nothing, and talent like yours should not be wasted scraping your way from the bottom. However, I wanted the opportunity to see your work for myself. I recalled your bowler hat design from last year, but that was only one example. I was going to ask you to bring your designs at another time, but you took the initiative to bring it with you. I wanted to know if you had a greater vision and if your designs showed versatility. Today, you have proven to me that you do."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Marinette tried to find the words to respond, but luckily Gabriel resumed speaking before she had the chance to say anything.

"I would like to offer you the opportunity to shadow Noelle this summer. Not only is she the intern recruiter for the company, but she is an incredibly competent designer. At Gabriel, we look for the best, and you have great potential, Marinette."

Marinette's breath hitched. "Monsieur Agreste, I would be honored. Thank you for the opportunity."

Gabriel extended his hand to Marinette, and she shook it. "The pleasure is mine. I will have Adrien give Nathalie your contact information, and we will make arrangements for you to start sometime next week. I look forward to seeing what contributions you will make in the future. Now, if you'll excuse me, I, unfortunately, must leave you two to finish brunch on your own."

"Father," Adrien called out, "will you be attending the gala this year, or will you be attending to something here?"

Gabriel paused for a moment. "I think the investors would be happy if I made an appearance this time. What do you think?"

"I think it would be good for the company if you came."

"I agree. Astute observation, son."

"Thank you, father."

Gabriel started walking out of the room. He stopped in the entranceway and turned back towards the table.

"Adrien," he began, "I'm happy to see that you found someone who is talented and driven."

Before allowing his son to answer, Gabriel disappeared into the foyer. Once they were sure Adrien's father was out of earshot, both teens breathed sighs of relief and began to laugh.

"I can't believe that just happened!" Marinette exclaimed.

"I know, that was insane!" Adrien responded.

"What an incredible opportunity."

"You deserve it."

"Thank you, minou."

"I am kind of disappointed that he didn't tell you the best part though."

Marinette gave him a confused look. "What are you talking about?"

Adrien slung his arm around Marinette and pulled her close. "Last night my father told me that he wanted me to start taking a more active role in the business side of Gabriel. He wanted me to spend time in the offices this summer learning from the executives there. So, it looks like we'll be seeing each other a whole lot more over the next few months."

"Really?"

"Really, Princess."

"Why didn't you mention this last night when you came over?"

Adrien's hand moved to the back of his neck. "Well, my dad is always making me do stuff, and I didn't think that it was all that important at the time."

She kissed him on the cheek. "Anything that happens in your life is important to me, kitty. Never forget that."

Marinette and Adrien finished their meal while chatting cheerfully and making plans for the upcoming weeks. The air around them pulsed with happiness and anticipation.

Brunch ended when Nathaalie informed them that it was time for Marinette to pick out her gown for the evening.

"Adrien, you have a piano lesson, so Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng will be coming with me on her own," Nathalie informed the two teens.

"Will you be okay?" Adrien asked Marinette.

"Yes, kitty. I'll be fine. Besides, it'll be more fun if you see me in my dress for the first time tonight. It will be a surprise!" she responded with a bright smile.

"Okay, my love," he kissed her cheek, "I will see you later."

When the pair finally separated, Marinette looked up at Nathalie who was attempting to maintain an emotionless facade. She was failing.

"Please come this way," the assistant commanded with the ghost of a grin on her lips.

Marinette followed the assistant into a guest room on the second floor of the mansion. Inside were several racks of evening gowns, and (to her surprise) a familiar face.

"Monsieur Agreste just told me the wonderful news!" Noelle beamed, "I am so excited! We are going to have a wonderful time. I can't wait to teach you everything!"

"Thank you so much for talking to him for me. I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you!" Marinette said with joyful tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Oh, sweetie, you just keep being yourself. Watching someone like you become successful one day is all the thanks I need."

"Still...thank you."

Noelle walked over to Marinette and gave her a quick hug before returning to the racks. "Now, let's get you dolled up for Agreste Jr. I'm going to guess that pink is your favorite color."

Marinette nodded enthusiastically.

The designer picked a few pink dresses off the rack and turned back towards the excited teen. "That boy isn't going to know what hit him when he sees you later tonight."


	12. Chapter 12

Hello, lovely readers! I hope you enjoy the last chapter of "Please Tell Me I'm Awake Right Now". It has been a wild ride, and I thank all of you for following me on this journey.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for those who have continued to read and comment. It makes my heart feel so full whenever I see feedback. Thank you for continuing to fuel my need to write about these lovesick dorks!  
_

I'm still cross-posting this on AO3 and on Tumblr.

AO3: clslovegood47

Tumblr: gryffindorcls  
(I will be posting my fics to the "Princess In Training" blog. Also, come talk to me over there! I would love to discuss my stories and the Miraculous fandom with ya'll!)  
_

I own nothing but the plot.

* * *

Marinette looked at her reflection in the mirror as Sabine fixed her hair into an elegant updo. A delicate ringlet fell to the right side of her face. Her mother finished by fastening a silver comb into the intricate bun on the back of her head.

"All done, sweetie!" Sabine said happily.

The excited teen held a hand mirror up to catch a glimpse of her hair in the looking glass. A smile immediately formed when she saw her reflection.

"It's beautiful, Maman!" she exclaimed, "Thank you!"

Marinette turned and examined herself in the large mirror. The dress she chose was floor-length and an A-line cut. It was made of light pink satin, and Swarovski Crystal studded band sat on her waist. Thick shoulder straps hung off the side of the gown's tasteful sweetheart neckline. While the dress was undeniably stunning, the hidden pockets were what influenced her final decision.

She paired her dress with a small, heart-shaped diamond necklace that belonged to her mother. Marinette proudly wore her new charm bracelet around her wrist, as well.

"You look so grown up!" Sabine remarked tearfully, "Adrien won't be able to get enough of you in this dress."

Marinette blushed. "Maman!"

"Oh, sweetheart! I remember what it was like to be young and in love. Besides, it's very apparent that Adrien cares for you deeply. There's nothing wrong with knocking his socks off every once in a while," her mother added wistfully.

"Are you sure everything looks okay? I've never worn anything this fancy before," Marinette asked as she did a small twirl in front of her reflection.

"You look perfect!" her father said, entering the room.

Sabine and Marinette turned to look at Tom who stood ready with a camera in hand.

"That's exactly what I was about to say!" her mom replied as she moved next to her husband.

"It's too bad that Adrien won't be here to pick you up. I would have loved to have gotten some pictures of the two of you," Tom noted.

Marinette sighed. "Well, Adrien was required to be there early with his father for some press thing, but don't worry, Papa. There will be plenty of photographers at the event, and I will make sure to take a few pictures on my phone."

"Good, but I still want to take a picture of you before you leave. Go stand next to your mother," he commanded with a grin.

She gladly obliged and posed next to Sabine. The mother and daughter put their arms around each other and smiled brightly for the camera.

Tom gave them a loving look. "My two beautiful ladies. I am so lucky to have you in my life. I love you both so much."

Marinette ran over to her father and gave him a squeeze. "I love you, too, Papa! We're also pretty lucky to have you."

Tom planted a kiss on the top of his daughter's head causing her to squeak and duck. Sabine shooed her husband away.

"Tom, careful! You'll mess up her hair," her mom scolded.

"Alright! Alright! I will watch out for the masterpiece," he laughed.

A knock sounded from the front door of the apartment. All three turned their heads towards the noise.

"That must be Adrien's driver here to pick me up," Marinette commented, grabbing a small silver clutch off of her desk.

She opened the bag to make sure that Tikki was safely inside with a few small cookies. Marinette looked in the mirror one last time and took a deep breath.

Sabine gave her a quick embrace. "Have a wonderful time, sweetie!"

Tom walked her to the door and greeted the Gorilla. The two men shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. (The responses from Adrien's driver came in the form of incoherent grunts.)

After hugging her father goodbye, Marinette followed the Gorilla to the car. He held the door open for her, and she slid in. Once inside, she could feel the tickle of butterflies nervously flapping around in the pit of her stomach.

She fixed her eyes on the passing cityscape as the car rolled away from the bakery. It was a short drive, but it felt like time had slowed to a crawl. During the trip, she felt a confusing swirl of anticipation and anxiety. This caused her to unknowingly fiddle with the clasp on her clutch.

After a few minutes, the bag popped open, and Tikki rested a reassuring paw on Marinette's hand. She smiled at her Kwami and steadied her breathing.

"_Tonight is going to be amazing, Marinette_," she thought to herself, "_Adrien will be with you the entire time. There's no need to be nervous_."

* * *

After his piano practice that afternoon, Adrien was handed a garment bag containing a fitted navy blue suit, a white collared shirt, and a light pink tie. He was also given a set of polished silver cufflinks. He assumed that his ensemble probably matched the gown Marinette had picked out. Adrien smiled knowing that she had gotten a dress in her favorite color, and he knew that she would look beautiful in whatever she was going to wear that evening.

It wasn't long before a team of stylists came in to fix his hair and get him ready to talk to the press. Once he was ready, Adrien was ushered into the family's limousine where his father was already waiting for him.

The Investor's Gala was to take place at Le Grand Paris. Cameras were already flashing when they arrived at their destination. Adrien made sure that he was charming and courteous as he answered all of the reporter's questions. He smiled brightly when one asked about his Instagram photo with Marinette. Adrien proudly talked about his new girlfriend and made sure to emphasize how wonderful and talented she is.

Shortly after, Adrien found himself standing next to his father in the hotel's ballroom. Gabriel greeted countless guests and as they filed in through the entranceway. Adrien spoke politely with each investor, partner, and designer who came to the gala. It was all mind-numbingly exhausting. Adrien was ready to break away from his duties as heir to the Agreste fortune and enjoy the party. He couldn't wait for Marinette to arrive.

He glanced at the ornate clock on the wall. It was fifteen minutes after seven, and he knew that his driver had gone to pick her up at seven o'clock. Adrien felt a shiver of excitement course through his body-she would be here soon.

His eyes remained glued on the door as he eagerly awaited her arrival. He became so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he did not notice Chloe Bourgeois sneaking up behind him.

"Adrikins!" her shrill greeting pierced the din of the room, causing Adrien to flinch.

Nonetheless, he smiled. "Hello, Chloe. How are you doing this evening?"

"I'm doing soooooo much better now that I'm with you, Adrien!" she latched onto his arm tightly.

He wiggled his way out of her grip and laughed nervously. "It's nice to see you, too."

She attempted to grab his arm again, but he quickly moved out of her reach. "We have to dance together tonight. Come on, it'll be so much fun."

"Actually, Chole, I'm going to be with someone else tonight. I invited her, and she will be here any moment."

"That's okay. We can still go and dance together. She's not here yet, so it doesn't matter."

"No, I am going to wait for her right here, and then I plan on spending the entire evening with her."

"Ugh. That's no fun! Did your dad set you up with someone or something?"

"I just told you that _I _invited her."

Chloe crossed her arms. "And who could possibly be more important than I am?"

Adrien met Chloe's gaze. "Marinette is my date tonight, and I do not intend to leave her side."

"What? Date? Is this because you met up with her yesterday and posted some pictures on your Instagram? I saw them, but you can tell she's manipulating you. I hope you know she's only using you to get ahead in the fashion world. My poor, little Adrien...I can help you. You don't need Dupain-Cheng."

"Excuse me?"

"Puh-lease," she waved her hand dismissively, "This thing with her won't last. You'll see that she's not that big of a deal. Come on, Adrien. Let's go dance."

He gave her a stern look that caused the heiress to take a step back. "Marinette is my girlfriend, and I _do not _appreciate you talking about her that way. If you would like to remain friends then I expect you to be polite and to choose your words wisely in the future."

"Is everything okay, Adrien," a concerned yet welcome voice said behind him.

He turned around and was met by a radiant Marinette. Adrien's throat went dry as he took in the sight before him. He tried to swallow, and his legs felt like they had turned to jelly. He knew that his girlfriend was gorgeous, but he had not been fully prepared to see her in an evening gown.

"Hello, kitty," she said, moving closer to him, "you look incredibly handsome tonight."

He took her hand and brought it to his lips. Adrien then placed a gentle peck on her knuckles.

"My lady," he responded reverently, "you are more stunning than a sky painted with stars."

She giggled and blushed.

"Ugh," Chloe interrupted.

Adrien quickly shot her an angry glare that made the heiress produce a light gasp. She rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated breath.

"Hi, Marinette," she said through clenched teeth, "You look pretty tonight. Have fun at the party."

Without waiting for a response, Chloe quickly turned on her heel and disappeared into the crowd.

Adrien turned back to Marinette. "She's wrong you know."

She gave him a confused look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You don't just look pretty tonight. My love, you look amazing_._ Everything is just...wow."

Her blush deepened. "Thank you, minou."

She stood on the tips of her toes and kissed his forehead before turning around and walking over to Adrien's father.

"Good evening, Monsieur Agreste," she said confidently.

The older man looked at her and nodded. "Good evening to you, as well, Marinette. I am impressed with your dress choice. It looks very becoming on you."

"Thank you, sir. Your design is beautiful."

"Perhaps next year you will be able to wear a design of your own."

Marinette couldn't contain her smile. "It would be an honor to do so, Monsieur Agreste."

Gabriel promptly turned towards his son. "Adrien, I think it is time for you to escort your date into the party. I'm sure she would find it beneficial to talk to some of the designers who are here tonight."

"Yes, sir," Adrien excitedly walked over to Marinette and extended his arm for her to take. "My lady, please follow me."

Marinette giggled and linked her arm with his. She held onto him tightly as they navigated their way through the crowd.

"The dresses here are incredible! I've never seen so many people make so many bold fashion choices before," she noted with awe.

The chandeliers above reflected scattered light in her eyes as she scanned the room. It was like looking into a starfield. Her enthusiasm made her bounce happily and smile brightly. All Adrien could do was stare at the amazing girl clinging to his arm. He was still overcome by her beauty.

"I'm glad you're having fun," he remarked.

She let go of his arm and twirled in place. "How could I not? I'm still not convinced that this all isn't just some dream. Here I am at a huge fashion event in Paris with the boy I fell hopelessly in love with over a year ago. Then, to top it all off, I get to wear this amazing dress that makes me feel like royalty."

He leaned in and rested his forehead on hers. "You're already a princess, my love. You didn't need a fancy dress to make you royalty in my eyes."

Marinette bit her lip and looked up. "And pray tell, good sir, where exactly is my kingdom?"

"You are the ruler of my heart," he whispered in her ear.

Her eyelids fluttered shut and he could hear breath hitch. "This princess' life is incomplete without her prince charming. Then again, sometimes she prefers the company of a valiant knight in shining leather."

"What if she was able to have both?"

"Both would be very nice."

Their lips met for a chaste peck. Both teens pulled away and smiled at each other.

"My, my, my! If it isn't my two favorite lovebirds!" a cheerful voice said.

Both teens turned their heads towards the newcomer.

Marinette's eyes lit up when she saw who had spoken. "Noelle!"

"Hey there, kiddo. You look great in that dress. I knew you would...and by the way you two were cozying up with each other, I'm guessing he liked it, too."

"She looks amazing," Adrien's eyes gleamed with adoration, "Then again, she looks beautiful in anything she puts on."

Noelle gave Marinette a look of approval.

"He's definitely a keeper!" The young woman gave the teen a thumbs up before continuing. "Well, I'm off to go mingle and do my job for a change. I just wanted to say hi. You two enjoy your night!"

They both waved goodbye to Noelle before turning back towards each other.

"Noelle is so nice," Marinette admitted with a smile, "I can't believe that I get to spend the entire summer with her."

"Just her?" Adrien teased.

"Of course, I'll hang out with you, too, kitty."

"This is the first time I'm actually looking forward to summer."

Marinette took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Hey, Adrien?" she asked with a grin.

He turned to look at her. "What is it, my love?"

Marinette fiddled with the skirt. "I just realized...here we are at this amazing party, and I'm wearing this beautiful dress. You look pretty dapper yourself, and the band is playing music. I was wondering if you wanted to dance."

Adrien raised his eyebrows. "My lady, I would be honored to share a dance with you."

He bowed and offered her his hand. She giggled and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor. Once there, he moved her hand to his shoulder and placed a hand on her waist. They turned slowly while gazing into each other's eyes.

"Do you remember the first time we danced together?" Marinette smiled.

Adrien thought for a moment before his eyes lit up with recognition. "Ah yes...that was at Chloe's party a few months ago right? The one where she was trying to prove to me that she could be nice?"

"Mmmmhmm. That's the one."

"As I recall, that was also the time that Despair Bear started possessing all of our friends."

"True, but before that," Marinette moved both her arms so they draped around his shoulders, "we got to dance a little bit more like this."

He gave her a one-sided smirk, put his other hand around her waist, and pulled her close. "How's this?"

She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Much better."

Marinette rested her head on his chest, and they swayed to the music. Adrien's heart beat faster with each passing second. They were in their own personal bubble, and he never wanted to leave.

"This is the best night of my life," Marinette whispered into his ear.

Adrien's smile widened. "It only gets better from here, Princess. We have a bright future ahead of us, and today is only the beginning."

* * *

**EPILOGUE**

Ladybug sat on the roof of a building near her home. She breathed in the warm summer air and sighed. It was peaceful and still. There was no danger tonight. She relaxed against a chimney as she waited for her partner.

Within minutes a soft thump alerted her to the arrival of a second person. She smiled and turned her head.

"Good evening, minou," she hummed happily.

"Fancy seeing you here, my lady," Chat Noir responded cheerfully, "What brings you out so late on this lovely _Purr-isian_ night?"

"I would have been out sooner, but I had to go to this stuffy party where I danced for hours and was swept off my feet."

"Sounds _paw-sitively _dreadful, Bugaboo," he teased, sitting down next to her.

She scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "It was the worst."

"Did you at least have someone to keep you company?"

"I had to spend the whole night with some rich, blond-haired model."

"Ugh...they're the worst. Was your boy okay at least?"

Ladybug leaned in and kissed Chat on the cheek. "I suppose he was alright...even though he didn't wear his glasses at all in front of me...and trust me, I _really _wanted to see him in those. Then again, he did tell me I was stunning, so I guess that was a plus."

He placed his finger on her chin and turned her face towards his own. "Well, he's not wrong."

Chat erased the remaining space between them and placed his lips on top of hers. Their arms wrapped around each other as they deepened the kiss. After several blissful minutes, the pair broke apart but remained in each other's embrace.

"I'm so happy it was you," Ladybug whispered.

Chat beamed. "I couldn't have asked for anyone better, my lady. You are my one and only. I love you."

Marinette placed another kiss on his forehead. She then moved away and allowed their eyes to meet.

"I love you, too, Chaton," she replied, "and I can't wait to see what's next for us."


End file.
